Blindsided
by KimiruMai
Summary: Stranded on a planet that should have been purged long ago, a born-blind Prince experiences the culture shock of a lifetime when the childhood friend who should be dead turns up alive...but not the same as he remembered. Even his use of Ki as a sight replacement won't prepare him for this, that woman, or the tyrant that still wants to kill him...M for future violence.
1. Gifted

**A/N: I really just can't help myself. **

**I know I just started a new story like 3 days ago but this is genius. It's another one of Khorale's ideas, like TOL, and I hope you guys really like it. **

**Disclaimer: Lo and behold, an angel of God appeared unto them, and said, "KimiruMai hath no claim on Dragon Ball Z." **

**Summary: He didn't have it easy. Those who knew expected him to be helpless, handicapped. He was not. He was independent, free spirited, and completely wild. When his life takes a nose dive at the age of six, he becomes more determined than ever to keep his flaw a secret, and he does it well…until one day, he is sent to purge the home of his long lost best childhood friend, where he meets his match in a blue haired scientist with sass. Can Vegeta juggle the weight of a woman, his de-Saiyan-ized friend, and a tyrant, all while struggling to prove the being blind doesn't render him helpless? **

**Please Enjoy my new story:**

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><p><strong>Blindsided.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Gifted<strong>

"Vegeta, come on! You're dad's going to be mad!"

"Shut up, Kakarot! I know!"

Little Kakarot sighed. He was barely three years old, but like all Saiyans he had begun to walk, talk, and even fight at the ripe age of six months.

"You know your dad hates it when we're late for training, Vegeta!" Kakarot whined.

"So does yours! And anyway, you're the one that wanted to stop by the royal kitchen, so it's your fault anyway!"

"It's not my fault Ruri makes such good cookies!"

Vegeta hmphed and fell silent, staring blankly ahead as he ran his hand against the wall.

Kakarot sighed again. "If you would just let me lead you…" he began.

"No!" Vegeta snapped. "I can do it myself.

Vegeta was six. Kakarot had been assigned at birth to be the Little Prince's bodyguard, and, though he had consistently insisted otherwise, the two had become fast friends.

Kakarot was also the only person outside the Royal family who knew Vegeta was blind.

Well, him, his brother, and his parents.

King Vegeta had been furious when he found out. The Prince had been blind at birth, his charcoal black eyes clouded and unseeing. Queen Reena had been proud of the child nonetheless, and when at three months of age, Vegeta had made his first Ki ball and killed three soldiers simultaneously, the King had begun to take pride in his son as well.

Vegeta was very self dependent. Even as a baby, he had refused to let anyone but his parents touch him, so all maids had been abandoned. And since most Royal children were not often publically displayed, his blindness had been successfully hidden from the people. That was how he liked it; he did not want anyone thinking that he was handicapped.

He was an excellent fighter. He waited and listened, completely ignoring the scouter on his face (which was only there for show). He would listen for the stillness in the air, which only comes just before an opponent attacks, and then he would lunge.

His memory was excellent too. He remembered when he was three, and a small babe had been presented to him on his birthday.

_*Flashback*_

"_Mom, can I leave now?" the toddler Prince whined. _

"_Vegeta, this is __your__ birthday party." _

"_It's boring," he complained. "All I'm doing is sitting on my throne while a bunch of old people talk." _

_Queen Reena sighed. "Oh, Vegeta. They aren't old. And you could go spar with the children if you wanted." _

_Vegeta scoffed, his dark eyes narrowing at nothing in particular. "They're all weak." _

"_You haven't even talked to them yet. How should you know?" _

_He shrugged, folding his little arms. "I can sense it. Can't you?" _

_Reena stared at him. He felt her gaze like fire to his flesh, but he didn't flinch. _

"_Never flinch when your mother stares at you," his father constantly warned. "You'll be able to feel it, trust me, so don't flinch. She will eat you alive." _

"_What do you mean,"Reena asked carefully, "when you say you can sense them?" _

_He shrugged again. "If I close my eyes, I can see little silhouettes, with flames all around them. Mine is much bigger than theirs." _

_His mother gaped at him. He felt a small rush of air as she jumped up and whirled, her long hair spilling out behind her. "Vegeta!" she hissed. _

_The boy tensed, then realized she was spewing flames at his father. _

"_What's wrong, Reena?" the King's deep rumbling voice asked, directly beside him. _

"_Your son can __sense__ those children!" _

"…_Excuse me?" _

"_Ask him!" _

_Vegeta listened; his already highly trained ears were enhanced by his lack of vision, and since his father was so close, he heard his lips parting as he opened his mouth to speak._

"_That child over there," Vegeta interrupted, closing his eyes and pointing. "His flame-thing is small, barely a finger's length from his body. His power level is perhaps 500, whereas mine is perhaps four thousand, give or take, and is almost a forearm's length from my body." He scoffed then. "See? Weak." _

_There was a pause, then a steady beeping. His father had the scouter turned on him, and the numbers quickly racked up to 4000. Another pause, and the scouter was pointed at the indicated child. _

"_Good gods," his father whispered. _

_Reena, who refused to wear a scouter to parties (they were tacky, she said), asked, "What is it?" _

"_Five hundred and three." _

_Both parents gaped at each other, then grinned. _

"_Our son…" Reena started._

"_Is a freaking genius!" The King crowed proudly. _

_Vegeta smirked to himself. His mother rushed to tell the family, and his father ruffled his hair, bending down to whisper in the boy's ear. "You'll have to teach me that, Vegeta," he said, "So I can sneak up on your mother without alerting her with my scouter." _

"_Dad, that's stupid," Vegeta stated. "And anyway, I don't know how to teach you. I didn't try to obtain this ability. I just know it." _

_His father was surprised, but said nothing. Instead, he ruffled his hair again, and stood up. "Happy Birthday, Vegeta," he said, smiling at his only child. _

"_Prince Vegeta?" a gruff voice asked. _

"_Ah, Bardock," The King answered for him. "I was wondering where you were." _

"_My apologies, my King," Bardock's voice seemed to come from farther down than before, which told Vegeta that he was bowing. "My wife was concerned about our attire, Sir." _

_The King laughed heartily. "What, can't you control your harpy, Bardock?" _

_The tall man sounded embarrassed. "She…she has a knack for getting a hold of people's tails, my King." _

_Vegeta Sr. laughed again, and this time it was accompanied by a matching, albeit lighter laughter from the Prince. _

"_Happy Birthday, your Majesty," the General said. _

"_Bardock," the Prince greeted, still snickering. _

"_Do you have him?" the King asked his old friend. _

"_Yes, Highness. He is with my wife. Shall I fetch her?" _

"_Yes, my son is bored out of his mind, and at his own party." _

_Bardock laughed. "A wild one, like his father, eh?" _

"_Like your brat will be any different."_

_They laughed again, and Bardock left to find his wife. _

"_Who were you talking about?" Vegeta asked. _

"_Patience, Boy." _

"_Is it for me? I don't want another servant," the three year old pouted._

"_It's not a servant." _

"_Then what?" _

"_Patience, Vegeta." _

_The little Prince hmphed. Bardock reappeared then, his wife Selypa at his side. The Prince couldn't see it, but there was a tiny Ki present, one that he hadn't sensed before. _

"_Prince Vegeta," Selypa said, her voice soft and warm. It was almost loving, he noticed, and her recent pregnancy flashed in his mind._

"_This is our son," she said. "When Bardock was born, he was presented to your father as a body guard. The King didn't actually need one, since he had Nappa's father," she explained, "But it was to teach Bardock how to protect those around him, and to teach your Father how to build social skills, since he, like you, didn't get out of the palace often. So, out of tradition, we have the honor of presenting our youngest son to you." _

_Suddenly curious, Vegeta stood up from his small throne, his nose tilted up slightly as he scented the air. He smelled baby oil and soap. He reached out his hand, and his father took his wrist, guiding him towards the child. Selypa held up the bundle in her arms, and Vegeta felt something soft and seemingly fragile wrapped in cloth under his fingers. _

_Immediately, he jerked his hand back and yanked off his glove, stretching his arm forward again. He felt soft baby skin, and the chubby cheeks of a newborn. His fingertips fluttered over the baby's face, transferring a self-made image of the boy to his mind. He felt wild, spikey hair that matched Bardock's almost perfectly, which would make sense; outside the Royal family, the second child born normally favored only one parent. _

"_Why would you bring me such a weak creature?" he asked, still picturing the child's face. It was round, but with sharp cheekbones underneath the baby fat; he would have defined features later, like all Saiyans did, and the baby's nose scrunched up as Vegeta "looked" at him with his hands. _

_Instead of being insulted, the adults laughed. "He's only a baby, Prince Vegeta," Bardock chuckled. "He's barely fourteen days old. He will be much stronger once he's aged a year. Do not worry, Prince, my family is almost as strong as yours."_

"_Hn," Vegeta said, but he wasn't really paying attention. He took his hand away from the baby, and with his blind eyes now knowing where to go, they locked on the child's face. _

"_His name is Kakarot," Bardock said proudly. _

_Baby Kakarot took one look at Vegeta…_

_And started screaming at the top of his lungs. _

_Selypa and Bardock jumped. Their child wasn't a crier; unless he was hungry, Kakarot was an unnaturally cheerful child. And he'd just been fed recently, so why was he crying? They looked up at Vegeta, expecting to see a scowl or a snarl, but what they did see surprised them. _

_Vegeta laughed._

"_He cries like a little Warrior, that's for sure," he chuckled. "I like this kid." _

_The three year old Prince stretched his hand to the baby once more, and this time, Kakarot latched his chubby hand onto Vegeta's finger._

_*End Flashback*_

"Would it kill you to accept some help?" Kakarot huffed.

"Perhaps," Vegeta quirked.

Kakarot rolled his eyes. "Come on, Vegeta. Nobody's watching."

"_I_'m watching."

"Har har, very funny. You don't count."

"I'm the Prince. Of course I count. Heck, my vote counts _twice_."

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"You're impossible!" the little toddler groaned.

"Thank you. Now hurry up, Kakarot, or we'll be late!"

He laughed when the younger Saiyan slapped his forehead. "We're already late!" Kakarot cried. "That's what I've been trying to _tell _you!"

* * *

><p>They were, in fact, late, but King Vegeta wasn't there. Instead, Bardock was waiting for them.<p>

"Daddy!" Kakarot cried, running to the tall, rugged man. The little boy clamped on his father's leg like a vice, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, Brat," Bardock smiled. "How's your training?"

"Vegeta is a meanie," Kakarot stated, his tail swinging as he looked up at his father.

Bardock laughed. "Is he now? Well, you two get in the training arena, and I'll send the Saibamen out for you. How's that?"

"Yeah!" Kakarot cried. Detaching himself from his sire, the child ran up to Vegeta and, ignoring the Prince's hiss of protest, grabbed his arm and pulled him to the arena.

"Ready?" the wild haired boy asked.

Vegeta smirked. "When am I not? Now be quiet, so I can concentrate." With that, his eyes slid shut, his lips pressed into a line as he focused.

And the Saibamen were released.

The appeared with a puff of smoke and a hiss, snarling and cackling like the little madmen they were. They rushed the Saiyan children, claws extended, and the boys prepared to retaliate.

No sooner had a Saibaman stretched out its fingers for Vegeta's shoulder, the Prince whirled and grabbed its wrist, flinging it into the one that was charging him from the front. The two crashed and went flying into the wall and were quickly disintegrated by the boy's blast.

A Saiba appeared from nowhere above Kakarot, who leapt to the side and blasted it to pieces, subsequently wrestling with a second who had tackled him from behind.

"Come on, Kakarot!" Bardock called. "You shouldn't be letting it touch you! Look at Vegeta! See what he's doing?"

Vegeta stood in the middle of five of the little green buggers, a smirk playing with the corner of his lips. Bardock grinned and pressed a single button on the control center, which turned the cameras to slow motion so he could watch.

A few Saibamen lunged at the Prince, but the boy fazed out of sight, dodging each attack. To the untrained eye, he didn't appear to have moved, other than the change in location; his speed was incredible, so much so that it almost seemed like they hadn't attacked him at all.

The Saibamen braced themselves again before they all leapt at once. Their feet were in perfect sync, minus the fact that it varied which foot, their claws scrapping into the metal floors. At the same time, Vegeta's battle stance lowered as he spread his feet apart slightly, power radiating from his body. And before either of them could touch him, his aura exploded from his body, and suddenly, they were no more.

"Atta boy, Vegeta!" Bardock called, sending more of the little monsters out to play.

Kakarot stared at his friend, slightly marveling. Then he grinned, and began to copy his friend's moves. He added his own spin to it, leaping over some Saibas and making his movements a little more…less invisible, and soon every Saibaman was dead.

_Pop! Pop, pop, POP!_ Twenty more sprouted from their little seeds.

The two boys were suddenly back to back, grins stretched across their faces. "Ready, Kakarot?" Vegeta said.

"Ready!"

"AAHHHHH!" they cried. Their aura's exploded from their bodies in a brilliant clash of baby blue. The Saibamen hissed, but the sheer power of the little Saiyans was far too much for the plant-like beings to take, and they crashed against the wall, all dead. Vegeta whirled and blasted the body of one into smithereens. Kakarot, not to be outdone, started blasting them as well. In matter of seconds, the training arena was completely Saibaman free.

"That all you got, Bardock?" Vegeta called.

There was silence, then a slow hissing sound of the door opening. Vegeta's eyebrows rose, his eyes closed as he listened and searched for the intruding Ki, but just as he got a lock on it, he was slammed into the far wall of the training arena.

"Of course that's not all _I_'ve got," Bardock's voice came. "But apparently, Saibamen are far too weak for you. So…let's take things up a notch."

* * *

><p>"Of course I understand," King Vegeta snapped into his scouter. "I'm not stupid. Do you think this is fun for me?...He's MY son, you moron! You think I'm enjoying this? It's killing me!...How dare you suggest that! If I was strong enough, Frieza would be <em>dead<em>, and none of this would be happening! …Just shut up, and leave me in peace."

There was a beep, and the scouter suddenly smashed into the far wall of the throne room.

King Vegeta buried his head in his hands, hating what he was about to do.

"I will never forgive you."

He looked up, a pained look on his face. "Reena…"

"I will never forgive you for giving away my son," she said, lifting her chin defiantly.

"He will kill us all, Reena. I have no choice – "

"You do have a choice!" she screamed. "We could fight! We could take him down and –"

"Reena!" Vegeta yelled. His strong hands suddenly gripped her arms, pinning her against the wall. "You have no idea how strong he is! His power level is 530,000! And he has other forms that make him even stronger! His maximum power is rumored to be 12 million!"

"So what!" Reena screamed back at him. "There are millions of us! He can't possibly fight us all off!"

"We can't all fight him at once anyway! Think rationally!"

"I'm thinking about my son!"

"Reena!"

She froze at the intensity in his voice, her black eyes wide.

Vegeta sighed, his break shaking along with the rest of his body, and he leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes squeezing shut. "Reena, he has already described to me in detail what he will do to you and the boy if I disobey. I can't lose both of you."

"He'll hurt my son," Reena whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Reena. You know if I was stronger…"

"I know."

A guard entered then. "My Lord, the Prince is here to see you, with Bardock's boy."

The King swallowed and nodded. "Bring them in."

"Kakarot, you couldn't be serious if your life depended on it," Vegeta stated as they entered. "I bet you have a banana sized grin on your face right now."

"Do not!" Kakarot said, though he actually did.

"Liar. I can hear it in your voice."

"Dang it, Vegeta, why you gotta be so observant?"

The little Prince laughed. "Cuz I'm royalty. Why else?"

"You're such a jerk."

"Wait till we hit adolescence."

"Ado…adols…"

"Teenage years," Vegeta explained.

"Ohhhh. Gotcha."

"Vegeta," the King said warily, sitting on his throne again. Reena had vanished, unwilling to see the betrayal etched on her little boy's face.

"Yes, Father?" the Prince said, suddenly serious.

"I have…bad news, my son," the King sighed, rubbing his temples. "Lord Frieza has requested…he has demanded that you live on his ship…with him."

Vegeta and Kakarot froze.

"He's coming today, Vegeta," The King said, clearly about to break from stress. "You are to gather your things, though I wouldn't take much, and be ready within the hour."

Vegeta closed his mouth, though he didn't remember opening it. His heart wrenched, and his knees suddenly felt like jelly. Beside him, Kakarot's aura was shaking, and he could tell that the younger boy was as shocked, if not more so, than he was.

"I'm so sorry, Vegeta," his father said dejectedly. "You know that I would have never given him to you if I had a choice. It would never even have crossed my mind."

Vegeta nodded, feeling sick. "Yes, Father. I'll…I'll go pack now."

He had barely turned on his heels when he was suddenly tackled to the ground. "Ack!" he cried, his chin smashing against the tile floor, the wind knocked out of his lungs.

"NO!" Kakarot howled. "You can't! You can't take him away! YOU CAN'T!"

"Get off me, Kakarot!" Vegeta hissed. He would not look weak in front of his father.

"He's MY friend!" the wild-haired child cried. "That's not fair!"

Vegeta felt something wet soaking into his cape, and he realized Kakarot was crying. That was strange; the boy hadn't really cried since before he was walking.

Vegeta heard footsteps then, and lifted his nose to scent the air. Bardock loomed over them, his aura radiating sadness.

Kakarot squeezed him tighter as he looked up at his father, his chin digging into Vegeta's back. "Please don't let them, Dad," he said, his voice quivering. "Vegeta should stay here."

"I know he should, son. But Vegeta has to go with Frieza," his voice hardened at the name, "and you have to go to Earth. I'm sorry - "

"THAT DOESN'T FIX ANYTHING!" Kakarot screamed. "SORRY DOESN'T FIX IT!"

Vegeta felt Kakarot suddenly went limp, which told the Prince that Bardock had grabbed his tail. The burly man separated the two and pulled Vegeta to his feet by the neck of his armor, giving the Prince a little push towards the door. Vegeta stumbled a bit and headed out of the throne room, his cloudy eyes darting back to where he sensed Kakarot before he left. His overly sensitive ears caught pieces of Kakarot's screaming howls until he slammed his bedroom door shut.

* * *

><p>He brooded in his room for a while, running his glove-less hands over everything to imprint it in his mind. He only packed a few things; plenty of clothes, his royal amulet, ring, and armband, a Braille book for him to read, paper, and pencils.<p>

Charcoal.

He could draw and paint and sketch; put a pencil in his hand and you'd have something beautiful in an hour. He always drew eyes.

He had coated his pencils in his own Ki, so when he put something on paper, he could sense it, and it would be the same as seeing. He didn't draw large things; only eyes of people he knew, or rather, what he expected their eyes to look like. He could get the shapes right; those were easy. All he had to do touch a person's face to get the shape of their features. But the pupils and irises…those were harder. He didn't know the shapes of those, and though his family told him otherwise, he couldn't help thinking that he got them completely wrong every time.

He had taken up drawing almost as early as he had fighting; if he wasn't doing one, he was doing the other. Or eating. It was his way to see into the world, even if he could only see the things he put on paper. At least it was something.

He smiled a little, remembering the first pair of eyes he'd ever drawn. They were his father's, and they were awful. He'd been angry, and spent all of his spare time drawing and redrawing them until they were perfect. It had taken him nearly a half a year, but he'd done it.

"Prince Vegeta," a servant called. "His Majesty said it's time."

Of course it was.

He sighed and picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

It was time.

* * *

><p>Kakarot sniffed. "It's not fair," he said for the umpteenth time.<p>

"I know, son."

"Wass'e want Vegeta for?"

"I dunno, kid."

"He's stupid. Vegeta's mean, anyhow," Kakarot said, sniffing again. "He shouldn't want somebody as mean as Vegeta."

"Yeah, I know."

"If he's so big and bad he shouldn't need Saiyans anyway. What's he supposed to do with a little kid?"

"Don't you ever stop talking?" Bardock demanded.

Kakarot was silent for a moment. "What's he gunna do when he finds out Vegeta is blind?"

Bardock sighed. "I don't know, Kakarot."

The little boy gaped. His father never didn't know anything. What was different about this time?

"How'm I gunna protect him if he's out in space and I'm on some mudball planet?" the tiny Saiyan asked.

"Vegeta needs no protecting, son. He's strong."

"He still needs help sometimes!" Kakarot insisted. "You're really strong, stronger than he is, and you still need somebody sometimes!"

"Kakarot!" Bardock barked. "If I could do anything, I would, okay? Just be quiet so I can think!"

And for once, Kakarot shut up.

Bardock closed his eyes, his brow furrowed as he tried to concentrate. His last mission had been to Kanassa, and ever since that alien hit him, he'd been having major headaches. Sometimes it felt like he was dreaming, but he couldn't be, because he was awake. The Kanassan had said that he would see how his world would end, just like they had, but Bardock had seen nothing of his home's destruction so far.

And then, it hit him, so fast he stumbled slightly.

They were flashes, quick pictures that he barely had time to process. Gradually, they began to slow down, and Bardock could make out figures.

He saw two men, both with spikey, black hair and tan skin, one tall and one short. The tall one smiled and laughed, but the shorter one stared straight ahead, his dark eyes clouded.

Sometimes the two would spar, and sometimes they would be eating. The tallest one was tailless, and sometimes the shorter one would use his tail against him, sending him flying into mountains and trees and whatnot. They would hunt, and sometimes he saw them with two women; one with long black hair and one with short blue hair.

Strange.

Sometimes the tall one would disappear from sight, and the shorter one would be left alone in what looked like a bedroom. He would sit at a desk and pick up pencils, his eyes not even focused on the paper as he drew. Then the short one would disappear and the tall one would be present again, wearing brightly colored clothing and riding a golden cloud.

They looked like younger versions of King Vegeta and himself, he realized.

Then, he saw an ugly purple and white creature, with three toes and a long, thick tail. An Ice-jinn, he thought, but not like any one he'd ever seen. Frieza's rumored transformations flashed in his mind, and he froze, suddenly knowing who the creature was.

And with a flash, the monster was dying in a puddle of his own blood, two blonde warriors standing above him with squared shoulders.

Bardock blinked, and the image faded quickly. He glanced at his son, who was still clearly upset. The child didn't seem to have noticed anything amiss, though he glanced up at his father quizzically for stumbling.

Bardock shook his head, snapping to attention when the Prince suddenly entered the room, his hand brushing the wall as he walked.

Kakarot jumped up from his position on the floor and rushed to the Prince, stopping abruptly before the two could collide. He bowed respectfully, and Vegeta waved him off.

"You're leaving already," Kakarot stated.

"Yes."

"When are you coming back?"

"How should I know?"

Kakarot hesitated. "D'ya think you'll be back when I come back from purging Earth?"

"I dunno."

They fell silent for a moment. Then Kakarot said, "You might be gone for a long time."

"I know."

"You'll forget me."

Vegeta's head snapped up from its slightly lowered position, his eyes wide. "I wouldn't."

"You might."

"I won't. Don't be a brat."

"I'm not," Kakarot pouted. "You're mean."

"We've established this."

Kakarot scratched the back of his neck. "Well, maybe I should come with you?"

Vegeta blinked. "What?"

"I mean, what if you need help tying your shoe laces?"

"My boots don't have laces, Kakarot. You can't tie shoes, anyway."

"What if you mistake the orange juice for the milk?"

"I have taste buds, don't I?"

"What if you put your shirt on backwards? Or inside-out? Or both?"

"Jeez, Kakarot!" Vegeta cried. "I don't do any of that stuff here, so why would I do that on Frieza's ship? You're being overdramatic."

"Over what?"

"You're freaking out."

"Oh." Kakarot looked at his feet, then back up at the prince. "Have you got your pencils?"

Vegeta patted the bag on his shoulder.

"Have you got that picture of everybody?"

Vegeta shook his head. "It's in my room. I don't want it ruined."

Kakarot hesistated. "Can…can I have it? Till you get back, I mean?"

"I don't care. But you'd better not mess it up."

"Okay."

It was a really pretty picture, Kakarot thought. It was nothing but eyes, as usual, but instead of focusing on one person, it had been multiple pairs. The King's eyes and the Queen's eyes, Vegeta's own eyes, baby Tarble's eyes, Bardock and Selypa's eyes, Raditz's eyes and Kakarot's eyes. Vegeta's closest family.

Once, Kakarot had said, "Why'd you draw Dad's eyes twice?"

"Those are your eyes, idiot," Vegeta said, bent over his desk as he drew.

"They look an awful lot like Dad's eyes to be mine."

"That's because they are."

"Really?"

Vegeta took a scratch piece of paper and drew a quick sketch. Two quickly drawn pairs of eyes stared back at Kakarot when the Prince handed him the paper, one pair larger than the other, but both otherwise identical. "Go look in the mirror," Vegeta ordered, "Then go look at Bardock."

He had, and he was slightly stunned to find that Vegeta had been right.

"Promise you won't forget?" he asked.

"Kakarot, it's Saiyanly impossible to forget such a loud mouth like you."

The spikey haired boy smiled. "Well, I couldn't forget a meanie like you, either."

"Hn," Vegeta said, but the corners of his mouth twitched in a smirk.

"How cute," a sultry voice said.

Kakarot looked up and hissed. Vegeta tensed at the noise, whirling to face the voice.

"Kakarot," he whispered.

"He's tall," Kakarot said immediately, as he always did, "a little taller than Dad, I think. Green hair, blue skin, kinda looks like a sissy to me."

Vegeta snickered.

"I'm serious," his friend whispered. "He's wearing these big blue panty-hose looking things, like that itchy stuff our moms wear to parties."

"Ugh, he _is_ a sissy."

Zarbon's lips curled downwards.

"Boys!" King Vegeta hissed, suddenly entering the room, Reena at his side. "Zarbon," he said, addressing the blue man, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to collect the Prince," he said smugly. "Whatever else would I be here for?"

The King scowled. "I would think that Lord Frieza himself would want to be here."

"Hm. He had more..._important_ matters to attend to."

"I see," King Vegeta ground out.

"You must be little Prince Vegeta," Zarbon said sweetly. His voice immediately nauseated the six year old Saiyan. The blue man pinched his cheek suddenly, and, out of pure instinct, Vegeta snapped his teeth, nearly biting him.

Zarbon yanked his hand back. "Feisty, isn't he?" he frowned. "I would think a Prince would have more manners."

"I would think one of Frieza's soldiers would know better than to lay a hand on royalty," Vegeta sneered.

"Yeah," Kakarot pitched in.

Vegeta heard Zarbon huff, then a hand fell on his shoulder. "Move it, boy," the blue man said. "Frieza is waiting."

"Wait," the King called. The Prince listened to his father's footsteps, straightening his posture. The King knelt in front of Vegeta, smiling halfheartedly. "Here, son." He placed a chain around Vegeta's neck.

"That's yours," Vegeta said in awe as he felt the King's Royal Medallion. He pulled off his gloves, his fingertips taking in the beautiful design.

"I know. You'd better not lose it, you hear?"

"Yes, Father."

The King squeezed his shoulder, almost lovingly. "Take care, son," he said.

Vegeta nodded, reaching up to touch his Father's face one last time before the King shifted away.

Reena dropped to her knees beside her child and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, after which she planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Mother," Vegeta protested.

"Be strong, Baby," she whispered.

He touched her face too, imprinting it in his mind. "I'll be back, you know."

"Of course," she said. Something in her voice suddenly made him feel dread.

"See ya, Kid," Bardock called.

"Bye, Vegeta," Kakarot said. "I'm going to remember, if you are."

"Don't be stupid, Kakarot," he said, which was Vegeta talk for 'Of course I'm going to'. He nodded at the rest of them once, and Zarbon grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the landing dock, where their pods awaited.

* * *

><p>Nearly an hour after Prince Vegeta had left, and Kakarot had been sent on his mission, Bardock realized that something was desperately wrong. Images flashed in his mind, and he cried out. As soon as his mind cleared, he ran to find his closest comrade.<p>

It only took him five minutes to explain to the King what he had seen, and the Monarch hadn't questioned him.

* * *

><p>Frieza laughed as two proud Saiyan men, one of which happened to be the Little Monkey King, were swallowed up in the giant orange sphere. A minute later, Vegeta-sei exploded into a beautiful puff of sparkling dust.<p>

Inside his ship, three Saiyans remained. A Prince, his body guard, and some lucky punk of a third class with long hair. They were the last, he was certain.

But out in the midst of space, a lone pod continued on its way to Earth. Inside, a small Saiyan clutching a drawing of eyes was begging the gods to watch over his best friend while he was in the clawed hands of a monster before the stasis sleep overtook him.

* * *

><p><strong>Well? Whatya think? I really like this concept, I think it's going to be interesting. Maybe not as big as TOL or ASTAC, but I think it'll be popular too. Next chapter we're skipping ahead a few years, to teen years, I think. There will be flashbacks from childhood, but I think that's a little much to cover otherwise. I don't think this one will be nearly as long as ASTAC or TOL but eh.<strong>

**I really love the concept of Vegeta beings artsy-crafty, and I've had something quite similar planned for ASTAC since like, March.**

**I'm lowering my expectation for reviews to 12, because it took longer than I expected to get 15 for OGAADS. That many is still very much welcome, of course XD but any less than twelve and I'll trash it. **

**I hope you guys really like this story, cuz I think it's going to be fun to write. **

**REVIEW!**

**~KimiruMai**


	2. Two Very Different Lives

**A/N: I honestly had no song or book or movie or anything for this chapter, just got randomly inspired. Maybe it was those reviews, eh? **

**Disclaimer: Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this woman. What has KimiruMai done that is worth of suing?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Two Very Different Lives.<strong>

Vegeta did not like birthdays. They were a pain in the ass.

That was unfortunate, considering today was the day that he turned sixteen.

"Happy Birthday, Prince," Raditz said, biting into some...thing that they had been given to eat. The cafeteria food wasn't exactly…food, but hey, a starving Saiyan can eat anything.

"Hn," Vegeta replied, which was as close to a 'thank you' as Raditz was going to get. He was lenient of long haired third class, simply because it was Kakarot's brother, but that didn't change his stoic, rude demeanor in the slightest.

"Sixteen years," Nappa whistled. "I can't even remember being that young."

Vegeta snickered. "I don't think you ever were that young, old man."

"I'll have you know I used to have a very full head of hair," Nappa stated proudly. "This old man used to be a ladies man."

Raditz chortled, slapping his hand on the table. "Ha! As if. You'd crush even a Saiyan woman!"

"You're almost as big as me, nimwit!"

"Silence!" Vegeta demanded. "Gods, you're giving me a headache."

"Sorry, Prince Vegeta," Raditz shrugged. "But what he said was far too absurd to not mock."

"I agree, but you're still talking."

They shut up then.

Raditz was 19 years old, and Nappa was 52. Not the ideal company, in Vegeta's opinion, but it was far better than nothing. They both knew of his blindness and were sworn to secrecy, but they didn't do the same things that Kakarot had when they were children. Raditz didn't immediately tell him what a person looked like, Nappa wasn't close enough to his power level to have fair and equal training, and neither of them were chatterboxes.

He supposed that was a good thing, considering how much they annoyed him already, but he remembered that Kakarot had been able to talk his ears off about the stupidest things for hours on end, especially Ruri's cooking abilities (God rest his soul), and sometimes he missed that.

"Well, if it isn't the Birthday Monkey."

Vegeta's lips curled back in a snarl, but he did not turn to face the voice. "What do you want, Cui?" he growled.

"Aww, what kind of reply is that? I only wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday."

"Perhaps, but in your slimy tongue that means "I hope this is the last one." Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't sound like a cheerful message to me."

"Perceptive little bastard, ain'tcha?"

Vegeta faced him then.

Cui should have known better than to provoke him. If you provoke Vegeta, he will look you in the eyes, and if he looks you in the eyes, you'll have chills for a week.

Vegeta had talent, that was for sure. After finding out that his planet had been obliterated by the purple lizard tyrant, he had become extremely paranoid about someone finding out about his blindness. He spent whatever spare time he had either training his body or training his eyes. He could now use KiSight to see with his eyes open, and he could move his eyes towards whatever he pleased.

"Tell me, Cui," he said, very calmly. "Do you know the customs for Saiyan birthdays? Do you know what is supposed to happen on my Sixteenth Year?"

"Why would I bother learning about stupid monkeys like you?" Cui sneered.

Vegeta chuckled darkly. "Because, it's interesting. See, on our Sixteenth, we are supposed to find our arch-nemesis and hunt him like prey. We are supposed to hunt said nemesis, chase him down, and slaughter him. Isn't that nice, Cui?"

His mouth twitched at the corners when he "saw" Cui's Ki fluctuate with alarm. "Only a Saiyan would be as barbaric as that," the purple alien hissed.

Vegeta shrugged. "You didn't even let me finish, Cui. After we've ripped their hearts out with our bare hands, guess what we do? We eat them! Hearts are a rare delicacy, you see, so it's saved for a Saiyan's year of maturity. Eating the raw heart of our nemesis has been Saiyan tradition for centuries!"

"You're lying!" Cui snapped, somewhat uncertainly.

"Am I?" Vegeta asked smugly.

"I think you are, Cloud Eyes," Cui jeered.

Vegeta frowned.

Cloud Eyes was his infamous nickname that was given to him almost immediately at age six; the second he'd stepped foot in Frieza's throne room, the lizard had commented on his strange eyes.

_*Flashback* _

"_I haven't seen Saiyan eyes like those," Frieza remarked casually. "Have you, Zarbon?" _

"_No, my Lord." _

"_Well?" the tyrant demanded. "What's wrong with your eyes, boy?" _

_Little Vegeta's stomach churned at the monster's voice. It was sickeningly sweet and feminine, like some kind of witch. _

"_I don't know," he said. "I was born like this." _

_Frieza hmphed. "So you're telling me it's in your blood?" _

_Vegeta shrugged. _

"_Your father didn't have eyes like that," the lizard said suspiciously._

"_I know. Father's eyes are dark brown," Vegeta said. It was impeccable, his father had warned, that Frieza not find out he was blind. He had to pretend he knew what things looked like, even if he didn't. _

"_I've never seen your mother," Frieza said suddenly. "Perhaps you got it from her?" _

_That was a lie, and Vegeta knew it. His mother had gone with his father to see the lizard many times. Frieza was testing him, as if suspecting the truth. _

"_Her eyes are black as well, Lord Frieza. It is rumored that one of my ancestors had eyes like these. I must have inherited them from him," he lied._

"_Hmph, freak generation skipping genes," Frieza muttered. "They're awfully strange, don't you think, pet?" he asked, glancing at Zarbon again. _

"_They _are_ awfully cloudy, my Lord." _

_A pause. "Oh, Zarbon, you genius!" Frieza cried suddenly, clapping his hands. _

"_I am, Sire?" _

"_Of course you are!" He turned back to Vegeta then. "I'll call you Cloud Eyes, little monkey. It fits, does it not?"_

_His voice was smug and cruel, and it made Vegeta's skin crawl. He bristled at the absurd nickname, his eyes closing for a moment as he literally bit back the harsh response that was on the tip of his tongue. He made the mistake of glancing at the monster with KiSight, and his eyes flew open with absolute horror. _

_Frieza's flame stretched out father than the ships long walls._

"_It suits you, doesn't it, monkey Prince?" Frieza asked again in a warning tone. _

_Vegeta clenched his fist, knowing full well what would happen to him if he rebuked the name. _

"_Yes, Lord Frieza." _

_*End Flashback* _

"I assure you, Cui," Vegeta said, narrowing his eyes. "I am not lying. I am a Prince; I have no need to tell falsehoods to the likes of you."

Cui bristled. _Likes of him_, who did that monkey think he was?

"Just because you have no need does not mean you won't," Cui shot back.

"Perhaps," Vegeta said, his piercing clouded gaze becoming harsher. "But allow me to tell you at least one thing that you will know to be true." He stood then, walking over to the purple-skinned alien until he was a hairsbreadth away, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

"I have quite a lot of nemeses, Cui, but I've yet to choose an 'arch'. As of right now, you're the top contender."

Cui swallowed and backed away. "You wait, Cloud Eyes," Cui hissed. "One day you'll make a threat and you won't be able to follow through on it. You wait, and it'll cost you your life."

Vegeta chuckled darkly. "Poor Cui, so confused. You make it sound like I am capable of fear."

"You just wait, Vegeta."

"If _you_ wait any longer to get out of my sight, I'll be having raw heart for lunch instead of this cafeteria crap."

He heard the soft squeak of glove material scrunching together – Cui clenched his fists, and heavy footfalls echoed and faded. Vegeta smirked and took his seat again, suddenly in the mood to enjoy his less than ideal food.

"Prince Vegeta?" Raditz said.

"Hn?"

"With all due respect, Prince…That was the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard in my life."

Vegeta looked up from his food and grinned. "Wasn't it, though?" he asked mischievously.

* * *

><p>Goku loved birthdays.<p>

He was turning 13 today, and Bulma had promised to take him out for the biggest cake she could find. Wasn't hard, she said, since she was so rich, but Goku was thoroughly grateful all the same.

Okay, so he didn't know his actual birthday. Grampa Gohan hadn't known, since he found Goku in the wilderness, so, after being endlessly pestered by his blue haired companion, he had chosen his own birthday.

He wasn't quite sure why he liked the date so much. It didn't remind him of his own birth; actually, it didn't seem to fit him at all. But it did remind him of that picture, and he wondered if perhaps the person it belonged to had the birthday he'd picked.

May the 4th.

Bulma had forced him to go to a doctor when they met upon the realization that he didn't know his age, which he was, to put it lightly, not happy about, and they had deducted that he was roughly 11 years old at the time.

So, today, May 4th, Age 748, Goku was 13 years old.

"Happy Birthday, Goku," Chichi said shyly, blushing.

"Yeah, Happy Birthday, kiddo!" Bulma smiled.

"I'm not a kid, Bulma," Goku pouted, folding his arms as his tail twitched. "And, thanks, Chi."

Chichi was pretty, he decided. At first, he hadn't been quite sure was 'pretty' was until he met Bulma. Quite by accident, he had compared her to a random woman passerby, and found that Bulma was much nicer to look at. Chichi came along then, and Goku decided she was just as, if not more than, pretty as the heiress.

"Yeah, I know," Bulma grinned. "Anyway, what do you wanna do today, Son-kun?"

"Can I fight somebody?"

"Goku, that hardly counts as birthday activities!" Bulma cried, appalled.

"You asked what I wanted to do, and I want to spar."

"You can spar with me, Goku," Chichi offered.

He brightened immediately. "Really?"

"Sure."

He dropped into a fighting stance almost instantly, a banana sized grin spread over his face. Then he stopped, a horrified look on his face. "WAIT!" he yelled.

Chichi and Bulma jumped, looking around for some villain come to destroy them. "What, Son-kun?" Bulma asked.

He pulled out his power pole and slid off a rolled piece of paper. "I don't wanna ruin this. Can you hold it for me, Bulma-chan?"

Bulma sighed. "Goku, you scared me! You can't just go around yelling like that after all the stuff that's happened to us before!" she said, taking the paper.

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly. He turned back to the raven haired girl, paying no mind to her tiny outfit, and smiled. "Ready, Chi?"

"Yep!" she said.

The two took off sparring, throwing fast punches and kicks. They were about evenly matched, though they weren't really giving it their all. Goku grinned; this, he was content to do all day.

Bulma shook her head at the two. "I'm not kidding," she muttered to no one in particular. "If Chichi can cook, Goku has found the woman of his dreams. And just think, two years ago he didn't even know what a girl was."

Goku was a strange kid, that was for sure. Bulma had thought he was as cute as a button when she first saw him…then she found out how annoying he was…he was still cute. Even after two years, things about him still baffled her. Like the fact that he had a tail, and could pick up cars, stuff like that. And then this paper that he was so careful with. He'd never given it to her before, and she was suddenly very curious as to what was on it that was so important. It looked a bit frayed from age, so she very carefully opened it up.

Bulma gasped. Surely Goku didn't draw this…

The drawing was a sketch of eight pairs of eyes. Some of them were similar, but the rest were separated with such amazing detail, some full grown artists would be lucky to get eyes like these. Two pairs of eyes looked strikingly like Goku's, though one pair seemed younger and youthful, while the other was older and wiser.

The pair in the middle, though, chilled her the most.

The eyes seemed very smudged at first, but as she looked closer, she noticed that they were drawn dully, instead of bright and vibrant like the others. The eyes were sharp and intelligent, but they seemed to be staring into space instead of at the viewer, like the others were. These eyes seemed to not be looking at anything at all, like a blind person's might, and yet...

"Bulma?"

Said girl looked up and saw Goku staring at her, his fight with Chichi paused. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She blushed, as if caught doing something she shouldn't. "I was just…looking at your drawing. It's very good, Goku."

"It's not mine," Goku said, taking the paper and looking at it carefully.

Bulma blinked. "Who's is it, then?"

"Let me see," Chichi said. "Oh, wow. That's…amazing."

"Do you know who drew it, Goku?" Bulma asked again.

The little boy shook his head. "Uh-uh. Grandpa Gohan said it was in my hand when he found me."

"What are these weird symbols at the bottom?" Bulma asked.

"I dunno."

At the bottom right corner of the page, strange marks were written in elegant script, the likes of which Bulma had yet to see.

די קרוין שר פון סאַייאַנס, וועגעטאַ.

"What do you think they mean, Son-kun?" Bulma asked as she studied them. "Is it the title or something?"

"I don't know," Goku said thoughtfully. "But I think it's a name."

Bulma squinted at the strange writing. "That's no name I've ever seen."

"I don't think anybody on Earth has seen that name quite yet," Goku said knowingly.

Chichi blinked. "What do you mean, Goku?"

The small boy blinked, then grinned. "I have no idea. Just popped into my mind."

Bulma slapped her forehead.

* * *

><p>"PRINCE VEGETA, REPORT TO THE TRAINING AREA IN TEN MINUTES BY ORDER OF FRIEZA."<p>

The blind prince groaned. Super. His birthday present, no doubt.

"Do you want us to come, Prince Vegeta?" Nappa asked upon hearing the announcement.

"No," he said harshly. "I can do it myself."

"I didn't mean –"

"Just make sure Raditz doesn't do anything stupid," Vegeta snapped, rising from the table.

"Hey!" the long haired third class objected. But Vegeta was already gone.

The Prince ran his hand along the wall, wishing he could feel the difference between one wall to the next like he could in his castle. He sighed and gave up, pulling his glove back on. Focusing his energy, he flared his Ki slightly, and it came bouncing back to him in tiny pulses.

That way.

He hung a right, slightly marveling at his own ability, and disheartened at the same time. Why could his Ki feel what his hands could not? His fingers only felt smooth metal that was all the same, and yet even the slightest change in the walls were caught by his Ki.

In the training room, he 'saw' the tall outline of Zarbon, or rather, Zarbon's Ki. Instantly, he tuned his senses to hyper drive, sending out stronger pulses that clued him in on the tiniest details; breathing pace, heart rate, even flickers of emotion. When a person felt a certain way, their body emits a type of magnetic pulse that affects the living creatures around it, and Vegeta could pick up the frequency of that pulse. It was extremely helpful, he found; one second of shock or alarm was all that was needed to determine the outcome of a battle.

"Frieza sends his regards, Monkey brat," Zarbon said. "Happy Birthday."

With that, the blue man lunged.

Vegeta blocked his attack and retaliated with a punch of his own. Zarbon caught his fist and pushed him back. Vegeta narrowed his eyes, focusing his energy as he sent out more tiny pulses. The energy, invisible to everyone but him, sparked and ran over every solid thing in the room in thick waves molding to shapes and returning to him. Zarbon charged him again, both sending punches and kicks faster than the eye could see.

Vegeta blinked, and something flashed in front of his dark eyes. He gritted his teeth and focused his energy, lighting his fists with Ki before he punched Zarbon in the face. The blue man's head snapped back, and he roared angrily. Vegeta's arm shot up just in time to block a vicious kick to his face, and he grabbed Zarbon's leg to flip him over. Unfortunately, Zarbon had wanted this, and as he was hurled forward he hooked his arm around Vegeta's neck, slamming the Saiyan Prince into the ground.

Vegeta gasped as the image flashed in his mind again, and he gripped Zarbon's wrist so tightly that the lizard had no choice but to release him.

Keep going, he told himself. Just a little bit longer. Focus.

Zarbon took his hair in his fist and launched the Prince across the room. Vegeta barely had time to straighten his body, trying to stop, when he came into contact with the hard metal that made up nearly every inch of Frieza's ship. His head spun, the base of his skull stinging with pain. One eye squeezed shut as he gritted his teeth, but unlike the average fighter, he didn't need to open or even close both to be aware of his surroundings. So, when Zarbon chose to use his moment of disorientation to attack, Vegeta was already rolling out of the way when Frieza's henchman slammed his fist into where his head had been a mere second ago.

Flash.

Damn! Why did this have to happen now?

Zarbon came flying at him again. Vegeta's arm stretched out to block his attack, but then -

Flash!

He cried out as a fist slammed into his face. Suddenly, he was as blind as any normal blind man would be. Even the safe darkness behind his eyelids was tattooed with the image, and he couldn't get it out of his head. Why now, of all times? Why here, of all places?

Fighting Zarbon after this was pointless. He could see nothing, his Ki Sense was all but fried, and the rest of his senses were being overloaded with panic. If Zarbon noticed his immediate decline in the ability to fight back, he said nothing, and the flashes continued hours later, even after Vegeta came out of the Rejuvenation tanks.

He relied on his fingertips to take him to his room, trying to remember each dent, scratch, or defect that separated one wall from another in his Ki sight, and after some struggle, he finally made it. Still sore with pain, he began digging around in what little he owned for his pencils and notebooks full of paper that he had 'rescued' from planets before he obliterated them. It was a treasure, he thought; paper that you couldn't get anywhere else in the universe, pencils that were now considered extinct.

It was also his way of acknowledging those he had killed; these papers were proof that species had existed. He wrote the names of the planet and the natives on the backs of each piece; in a way, it gave them a sense of respect that at least part of their culture, even something so insignificant, was left in the universe…just like him.

He tossed his long discarded gloves on the bed, his fingers seeking out the materials he wanted. He never chose them…not really. He simply shifted his hands among his supplies until something felt just right.

Flash.

There.

He sat on his bed cross-legged, the paper on top of his full notebook in his lap and pencils in his hand. He sketched quickly, only pausing to fix mistakes that were absolutely unforgivable.

The flashes were pieces of his memory that he could no longer picture. It was like déjà vu; he would see something in his mind that he had outlined with either his fingertips or his KiSight long ago, things he could no longer remember. And if he didn't get it on paper as soon as it happened, he would lose it again. Maybe forever. He never had the same flashes twice.

He called them blinks. That's how fast they happened, so it fit. With this particular blink, he found himself drawing his father's face. Over the years, his drawings had become bigger and bigger; first, when he was a child, it was just eyes, then it grew to eyes and noses, and later mouths, and eventually, he drew entire faces. It had been ten years since the destruction of his home-world. His father's face was starting to fade from his memory…the blinks were proof of that. So when he saw his father outlined in Ki behind closed eyelids, he knew he had to get it down ASAP, lest he truly forget this time.

His pencils flew, trying his very hardest to capture every detail before the blinks stopped. They gave him horrible headaches and got him into trouble more often than not; today was an example of such, but it was worth it, he decided, if he could capture it with his hands.

There.

He heaved a sigh of relief; his father's face was sketched perfectly on the page. He could never forget, not now.

He fixed a few minor details; a few stray strands of hair here and there, straightening the line that made up the Saiyan King's jaw for firmness, a small line at the edge of his lips that made them appear curled in a smirk.

Satisfied with his work, he put all his supplies away and hid the drawings with the rest, in a small drawer that only unlocked with his fingerprint (a...gift, let's say, from the scientists in Frieza's lab). Fingering his father's medallion, which he had hung from his neck upon entering his room, Vegeta sighed softly. After removing the chain and placing it inside the locked drawer with the rest of his most prized possessions, he kicked off his boots, pulled off his armor, and crawled into bed, falling into a restless sleep haunted with nightmares of exploding red planets.

* * *

><p>Goku gave a toothy smile into his pillow. A tournament! How exciting! He, Krillin, and Master Roshi were going to head out and meet the gang at the arena in the morning, where they would enter and fight some of the very best martial artist in the whole world. How cool was that? The tournament was three days late for his birthday, but that was okay. Better late than never, right? The 13 year old boy squirmed with excitement and giggled happily. This was going to be a great adventure, he could feel it!<p>

Grinning broadly, Goku rolled over and reached for his power pole, sliding the drawing off again. He smiled at it warmly, being careful not to smudge anything. Today had been a good day, he decided. A great birthday. He got to have as much cake as he could get his hands on, thanks to Bulma, he had a ton of fun sparing with Chichi, and Master Roshi told him about the tournament. Couldn't get much better than that, could it?

"This is going to be great," he whispered. He looked at the drawing thoughtfully, and he felt something like loneliness wash over him briefly. "I wish you could be there to see me fight, whoever you are."

Sighing, he put the drawing down again and flopped over on his bed, snuggling underneath the covers. He pillowed his hands underneath his head and grinned up at nothing in particular. "This is going to be great!" he said again.

A harsh knocking sounded from the room beside his. "Would you go to sleep? Some up us want to get a little shut eye!" came Krillin's angry voice.

Goku grinned wider, and two minutes later, he did just that. In the morning, he would wake up and remember dreaming of pancakes.

* * *

><p><strong>IMPORTANT!<strong>

**That took me a ridiculously long time. Not the writing itself, but coming up with stuff to write. I hate writer's block with all of my being.**

**Anywho, thanks to both Princebejitasama and Dragon Ball Wiki, I now have a perfect timeline and personally made Power Level scale that MAKES TOTAL SENSE. I shall be using Princebejitasama's scale for whatever canon story I have now, it's that much better. However, since Goku is now three years younger than Vegeta instead of five, everything in the timeline is moving up two years to accomodate that. Vegeta being six when the planet blew is just going to be a factor of AU-ness. Therefore, the WMAT is going to be Age 748 insted of 750. Sigh, keeping track of this stuff is a headache. I was also wondering, should I stick strickly to canon, or should Vegeta, Goku, and company be a bit younger with the Saiyans come to Earth? **

**Anyhow, hope you enjoyed it. By the way, if you haven't already, there is an important poll on my profile that you simply must look at. The fate of my future stories depends on it! Also, because of said future stories I'm sorry to announce but I'm removing Pure Insanity and OGAADS soon. I'm just not getting anything for those right now, though I might bring them back once I find some use for them. Anyway, you guys already know what to do, but I'll tell you again anyway. **

**REVIEW, PEOPLE!**

**~KimiruMai.**


	3. Found You

**I better get a ton of reviews for this, since you guys are always **_**begging **_**me to update it…greedy monsters…XD**

**Okay…I'm not going to lie, I had something entirely different planned for this chapter. I was going to do one more chapter about their teenaged years, but I got halfway through and re-read what I had written, and I was like – . – what is this crap? So I erased it and wrote this instead. Much better, I think. You guys already know what went down in DB anyhow…and there will be peaks into the past later. Or maybe I write a non-suckish chapter for that in the future and switch it to chapter 3 instead of this one…which will then become chapter 4 and so on. **

**Kay…**

**So many guest reviewers….GET A FREAKIN ACCOUNT SO I CAN REPLY!**

**Guest: um….I can't tell a lot of you apart, so thanks ^^'**

**Bullafan22: I've read one other than my own…can't for the life of me remember what it's called…but it was really good and had a hilarious ending. But thank you!**

**MM: Here it is!**

**Lil saiyain: Erm….**

**42Anonymous: Thank ye ^^**

**Yvonne: I really appreciate how much you like this story, but I have to ask that you cut down on the reviewing a bit. One review a chapter is fine. I can't rush to write a story just because someone asks me to. Inspiration comes at random times and for random pieces. I don't really pick which ones to update next. Whatever comes to me gets first dips. Thank you!**

**applepie133: aww, thanks :3**

**Velvet Theory: Heehee…**

**Now, on to the chapter with the really creepy title.**

**Disclaimer: Yada yada yada…**

**Song Prompt: I'm Not A Vampire ~ Falling in Reverse. This song is…weird, but it's catchy (don't ask how I came across it, you **_**find**_** things on Youtube after a while) and it describes Vegeta at some points (NOT ALL, but some). True Vegeta fans'll know what I mean.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Found You…<strong>

"I think I found my brother," Raditz said suddenly.

Vegeta choked.

"Oh?" Nappa said, ripping his teeth into the roasted leg of the creature they were eating (and Vegeta was sitting on). "Where at?"

"Some dump called Earth."

"I heard that planet was somethin' to look at," Nappa mused. "But it's so far out in the damn middle of nowhere…nobody wants it."

"Yet," Raditz pointed out. "When Frieza's empire spreads far enough – "

"It's not," Vegeta snapped, finally able to swallow his food. "It's not. I'll kill him before it does."

Raditz and Nappa both nodded, and Raditz said, "I know."

Vegeta's clouded eyes settled on the fire, his face tilted towards the heat. After a long while, he reluctantly said, "We should probably go get him." He paused, then added, "Before Frieza does."

Raditz bit his lip to hide a small smile and glanced swiftly at Nappa, who smirked knowingly. "I was just about to ask if I could. I guess something happened to him when he was a kid or something…I dunno why else the planet would still be populated."

Vegeta huffed irritably and scowled. "Knowing Kakarot, he probably didn't purge it because he thought the birds were pretty."

"Probably," Raditz agreed nonchalantly, and his smile widened a bit.

* * *

><p>Goku smiled.<p>

"C'mon Gohan, you can do it!" he encouraged, arms outstretched. "Just a few more steps!"

"You can do it sweetie!" Chichi cheered, smiling at her only son, who had just left her arms.

A nearly one year old boy pouted heavily as he spread his chubby arms for balance, putting one little foot in front of the other. He gave soft grunts of effort, and then a squeal of glee when he made the last few steps to his grinning father, who picked him up and spun him around in the air. He giggled as Goku made airplane noises and laughed cheerfully.

"Gohan's a big boy now!" he cried. Gohan screamed with laughter.

"Careful, Goku," Chichi chided, but she smiled warmly as she did so.

"I know," Goku said eagerly. But he was still running around in circles with Gohan held high above his head.

Chichi shook her head, because she knew that even though Goku was often clumsy outside of battle, there was no way in the world he'd drop his son. He might be completely useless when it came to jobs or chores, but he was the most loving father she'd ever seen, and there was no way he'd drop…

Goku suddenly slowed his running, and his airplane noises diminished to nothing. His lips fell open a little, and he froze with Gohan still in the air. The little boy fidgeted and kicked his short legs, wanting to be an airplane again, but Goku lowered his son into his arms instead. He held the child protectively, with Gohan's little face buried in his shoulder and his limbs pulled in close. Goku's right arm shielded his son's body, his large hand covering the back of a head full of long, fuzzy hair, and his left supporting the 1 year old's bottom, fingertips reaching all the way to his right hip. There was a sudden possessive look in his eyes, and the warrior's upper lip curled up over one long canine that, to Chichi, always looked a lot longer than it should have been. A low growl rose in his throat, so animalistic that it made Chichi's hair stand on end. Sometimes she wondered if her husband was really human…

Gohan just blinked in his father's arms, not disturbed by the deep rumbling vibration in the big, broad chest that he was being crushed to. He made a small sound of surprise and confusion, and Goku's growl immediately died in his throat, though his grip tightened ever so slightly.

"What's wrong, Goku?" Chichi asked worriedly.

"Something's coming," he replied, his voice sounding deep and guttural.

"Something?" A feeling of dread fluttered through her stomach. Suddenly, she gasped. "Piccolo?"

Goku let out a snarl. "No. Worse. A lot worse…Ungodly, worse."

Chichi fainted.

* * *

><p>" –chi? Chichi…Chichi, honey, wake up, <em>please<em>…"

Chichi slowly opened her eyes. She felt a cool cloth on her forehead, and her husband's calloused fingers patting her face very gently. Her dark, nearly black eyes met his warm brown ones, which where etched with the beginning stages of panic.

She pushed his hand cup her face and made it rest there. "I'm okay."

He breathed a soft sigh of relief, so quietly that she almost didn't hear it. "Good. I need you to take Gohan. I have to go to Kami's and see what's going on."

She nodded, her face still flushed, and stood. Goku reached out to steady her, but she shooed him away and picked up her son, who sat on the floor beside her.

"Who do you think it is?" she asked quietly.

Goku was silent for a moment, then turned to the doorway after murmuring, "I don't know." With that, he took off into the sky, leaving his young wife to stare after him. She sighed and held her baby closer to her, and Gohan just smiled.

As Goku flew, he called Kinto'un, and continued up to Kami's lookout. He hopped off once reaching it, and the cloud floated near at his mental command. Kami came out to meet him, Mr. Popo trailing behind, a grim look on his face.

"Son Goku," he greeted in a very business-like tone, "I see you sensed the threat."

Goku's features sunk. "So it is a threat."

Kami gripped his staff. "I'm afraid so. I'll need you to gather the Z Senshi and report back here immediately."

Goku nodded and climbed back onto the golden cloud and flew off as fast as possible. He reached the Kame house in a matter of minutes, and (much to his relief) the gang had already sensed the power levels that were approaching.

"Goku!" Krillin cried upon seeing his tall friend land. He grinned a big smile, but it dropped from his face almost immediately. "S'been years, and we just now meet again under these circumstances," he said sadly.

Goku smiled sadly, and shook Krillin's hand. "I know. Is everyone here?"

"Not Tien, Chiaotzu, or Yamcha. Roshi and Bulma are here, though."

Goku bit his lip. "I guess that's good. It'd be safer here than in the city."

Krillin nodded absentmindedly, then said, "I wonder who it could be."

The Ki's were much closer now. Goku had the sinking feeling that whoever it was had entered Earth's atmosphere. "I suppose we should go confront them," he said, a serious expression on his face that Krillin hadn't seen in a long time.

The bald warrior sighed. "I'll tell Roshi."

A few minutes later, the two old friends were flying towards the direction the Ki's seemed to be headed for. They were quiet, wondering what they could say when there was the large possibility that they might die in a short amount of time. Goku's heart ached…he knew that if he didn't survive this battle, then neither would his mate (he didn't know why he always thought of her in that term) and his little son wouldn't either…no one would.

Or if they did, they'd wish they hadn't.

Suddenly, another Ki became apparent to him. "Is that…?"

"Piccolo," Krillin scowled. "You don't think he has something to do with this?"

Goku shook his head. "They're so much stronger than he is…and Piccolo doesn't do well listening to others. He must be opposing them."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"There's three of them…four if you count the 'Demon King'," Krillin said softly. "We're outnumbered."

Goku said nothing, but a thought passed through his mind.

_And severely outclassed._

* * *

><p>Raditz sighed in discontent. "Now, little green man – "<p>

"_LITTLE_?!" the cloaked warrior yelled, sharp fangs gleaming.

" – I think you're being unreasonable. I just wanna know where my brother is."

"I don't know who your goddamn brother is," the figure snapped. "So get lost."

An amused chuckled sounded from behind the long haired Saiyan, who glanced back in irritation. "It's not funny, Vegeta," he scowled.

"Oh, don't mind me," the Prince smirked, leaning casually against his space pod with his arms folded. "Just carry on with your…" he paused to wave his hand dramatically, "…_interrogation_."

Raditz growled low in his throat, then turned back to the creature with the green skin and pointy ears. "What's a Namek doing on Earth, anyhow?" he asked, sounding irriated.

The Namekian hissed. "None of your business. I am Piccolo, the Demon King! This planet is mine. Get off it."

Now all the Saiyans laughed. "That's rich!" Nappa chortled. "Rich, I tell ya. Well, Namek, this planet belongs to _us_ now."

"You sons of –"

"Now, now," Vegeta chided, clucking his tongue as he shook his index finger at the Namekian. "Don't go insulting my mother. After all, I'm willing to be a gentleman here. You tell us where Kakarot is, and we won't kill you till last. How's that?"

"I've told you, I don't know any –" Piccolo stopped suddenly, and glanced at the sky behind him, mouth open slightly.

"Raditz," Vegeta said softly.

"Hm? Oh…uh, lemme see." He pressed a button on his scouter and squinted. "Two of 'em…kinda weak. 'Specially the second. The other's about the same strength as this guy." He paused and squinted harder as the shapes came closer. "They're both wearing really bright orange –" Vegeta didn't know what orange looked like – "and it looks like one has black hair. Kinda wild…aw shit, I think that's him."

Vegeta opened his mouth, then shut it, blinking with surprised. "That can't be right…Kakarot was almost on par with me when we were kids."

"Don't remind me," Raditz muttered irritably. "Just wait till he lands here, then we'll know for sure."

Piccolo was inwardly cringing with fear. The long-haired one…Raditz…already had terrifying power…but the other two, especially the short one…it made him weak in the knees, made him nauseous, made him want to _flee_. Him, the Demon King, who ran from no one, and these three were turning him into a coward.

And now Son was here. This was not going well for him.

Goku and Krillin landed on the cliff with soft taps against the ground, observing the four figures before them. All threw wore strange clothes of various colors, like spandex and body armor, with long shoulder spikes. One had really long hair, and looked as if he favored Goku in an eerily close way. He and the tallest, a bald man with a thin mustache, were both enormous in stature, even bigger than Goku. Krillin swallowed. But the shortest of them, the one with the strange grey eyes and the upswept hair, scared them both the most.

His power was just…

"Piccolo, what are you doing here?" Goku asked sharply.

"Telling these…" the Namekian paused, not sure what to call them, "These aliens to get off my planet."

Goku was going to make a comment on how the planet wasn't really his at all, but wisely kept his mouth shut on the matter. He nodded swiftly, half-satisfied with the answer. "Good…I guess. And who are you?" he asked, turning to the three newcomers.

They all just stared at him.

"I told you," the long haired one said finally.

"By God, he looks like Bardock," the bald one muttered.

"Of course he does, stupid," the shortest snapped. "Of course he does. Shut up. Jeez. Let's just get him and go."

The long haired one shook his head, a knowing smirk on his face that made Goku's skin crawl. "Alright, sheesh. Kakarot, it's me. Raditz. Why haven't you killed everyone here yet? You've had more than enough time!"

Goku blinked. "Who's Kakarot?"

Raditz blinked too. "What the hell do you mean, who's Kakarot? _You_'re Kakarot, baka!"

Goku frowned sharply. "I don't know what you're talking about, but my name is Goku, and I'd never do the things you're accusing me of!"

Raditz groaned and slapped his forehead. "Who dropped this kid on his head as a baby?" he whined.

"Probably you," the bald one laughed.

"Shut your pie-hole, Nappa," Raditz snapped. "I did not. He'd have to have hit his head after he got here anyway–"

"After who got here?" Krillin asked.

"Good God, _him_!" Raditz cried exasperatedly, pointing at Goku. "You really did hit your head as a kid, didn't you?" he asked accusingly.

"I…" Goku paused, then looked angry and dropped into a fighting stance. "I was caught in a landslide when I was three. I don't remember much about it."

"You've got to be kidding me," Raditz snarled. "Okay, look. You're a Saiyan – we're Saiyans – sent to Earth to purge it of all inhabitants when you were a kid. It shouldn't have taken you over a year…probably less. _Apparently_, that didn't happen. Your name is Kakarot, son of Bardock, and I'm your brother. Ring a bell yet?" he had a look on his face that promised much pain if Goku said no.

Goku gaped. Then he yelled, "Anyone who would do the things you say is no brother of mine! My name is Son Goku, and this is my home! And you're not welcome here!"

The three were silent.

Suddenly, the short one spoke up in a deep, raspy voice. "You're telling me you seriously don't remember anything."

Goku scowled heavily and bared his teeth. "No."

"Not even me."

"I think I'd remember someone like you," Goku snapped.

The spikey haired man pushed himself up off the pod, and his clouded eyes flashed with barely concealed fury. He laughed, very quietly, and Goku's hair stood on end. "Really," he said dryly. "That's a very ironic statement, Kakarot."

"Stop calling me that."

"So very ironic," he mused.

"I'll make the little punk remember," Raditz snarled, stepping forward with clenched fists.

The one with flamed hair held up his hand. "I don't recall giving you an order," he said in a dangerously calm tone.

Raditz froze, and a look of fear flashed across his face for a moment as he straightened up immediately. "My apologies, my Prince."

The Prince nodded curtly, then turned back to Goku. "You may take the Namekian and the bald one. I will deal with Kakarot personally."

Raditz flinched at the last statement.

"I CALL NAMEK!" Nappa hollered.

"Fuck you, Nappa," Raditz muttered.

Krillin swallowed. Piccolo braced himself. Goku didn't bother hiding the shock on his face when the Prince lunged.

The Prince's gloved fingers reached for Goku's throat, and the tall man fell backwards, just barely managing to avoid being strangled. The short Saiyan (whose name he still hadn't caught) stretched out his arms fully, his fingertips touching the ground briefly before he spun in midair and lunged again. This time, he did not miss. Goku barely had time to raise his arms before the smaller man crashed into his torso, and his fingers dug into Goku's shoulders. The Earth-raised…Saiyan, did the call him?...screamed in both surprise and pain, and the two skidded until they slid right off the edge of the cliff side, upon which Goku tucked his legs underneath the alien and pushed him away. He turned upright and shot into the sky, and the spikey haired man paused.

Catching his breath, Goku glanced at the five spots of dark red that were seeping through his gi on each shoulder. Suddenly, something warm and thin hit and passed through him, and his eyes widened.

Ki waves…

The small man's head snapped towards Goku, and without warning, he shot into the air. Hoping to turn the tables, Goku rushed him too, and swung a punch. The man dodged it easily, and Goku swung for his stomach. A muscled arm clad in blue spandex blocked the hit, and a gloved fist sent Goku flying. Before he could get his bearings, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach as he was kicked higher into the sky. Ki waves pulsed all around him, confusing his senses, and he had just opened his eyes when an axe handle blow to his back caused him to bury his face in the dry earth.

He couldn't believe how much pain he was in from those few sharp blows. His head was spinning, his spine felt numb, and his stomach ached. He was fairly sure that his ribs were broken, and he thought his arm might be fractured too. Goku's lip bled, accompanied by a thicker stream of blood from a fresh cut on his forehead. He was covered in dirt and bruises, and his ankle had twisted unnaturally when he landed. He groaned.

The Prince's hand suddenly fisted his hair, and Goku cried out as he was yanked from the body-shaped hole he'd been lying in. He clawed violently at the Prince's wrist, screaming bloody murder (a very un-Goku-like thing to do, he realized) over the sound of evil laughter.

"What's the matter?" the Prince mocked cruelly. "Get weak after sitting on your ass for years?" He cast Goku aside (or rather, flung him into a mountain) and said, "you know, if you'd done as you were told, you'd be nearly as strong as me."

Goku's eyes widened, then narrowed to slits. "Never!" he yelled, and after prying himself from the mountain, he charged at the man.

His fist was caught, and a knee slammed into his abdomen. Blood spurted from Goku's lips (_definitely_ broken ribs) and at the same time, an elbow caught the back of his neck. He threw another punch, a kick, and a Ki blast, and all were either dodged or blocked as if they were nothing. Loosing his balance, he started to fall, but the Prince caught his hair again. Goku screamed out a few very colorful words (also out of character for him) and pushed a Ki blast towards his attacker's stomach. It connected this time…but nothing happened.

_No, no, no…._

"Ki, huh? So that's how you want to play." The Prince let go of his hair, and Goku fell to the ground, gasping in pain. "Alright, if you insist."

"Wait! – " Goku screamed.

_It burned. It burned really, really bad. It felt like his flesh was on fire. He could feel it cracking and peeling and charring, and he shuddered in disgust as he felt the blood running down his skin and evaporating at the same time. The smell was horrifying, and he nearly retched. _

He did retch, but it was only more blood that came out.

The Prince clucked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. Shameful, Kakarot, truly shameful. What have you been _doing _these past years?"

Goku forced himself to raise his head. The Prince squatted in front of him, looking at him with an almost beaming smirk and murderous eyes. Goku knew those eyes.

"You…" he whispered hoarsely. "I…I saw you…I…"

"What are you rambling about, fool?" The amused look vanished, and hatred shone clear as day.

"I saw you before!" Goku yelped as another spark of Ki flared around the Prince's fingers.

The alien snarled. "I know that, Baka. It's been years –"

"No –" a choking sound as more blood came out – "Recently, I could swear I've –"

"I'm going to kill you now."

"No, no, wait!" He was starting to panic. _Where had he seen those strange eyes?!_

"It's going to be painful, just so you know. I hate surprises."

"Please! Just let me try to remember where –"

"Ah, no. Don't be ridiculous. You don't remember a thing. And what's worse, you're weak. I have no use for you –"

"THE DRAWING!" Goku screamed as purple Ki burned his cheek.

The Ki vanished. "What did you just say?"

The taller male spat in the dirt to rid his mouth of a bitter, metallic red liquid, breathing heavily. "I've got this paper…had it since…since…I don't ever remember not having it. It was all covered in eyes, and two of them looked like mine, I think, and there was one pair in the middle – "

_SMACK!_

Goku yelped in surprise and flinched back as his head whipped to the side, his hand shooting up to cover his stinging cheek.

The Prince stared back at him coldly, his left hand raised over his right shoulder. "You should have said that first, Baka. It'd have saved me the effort." He paused, then muttered, "But you needed your ass kicked anyway, so never mind. I'll look at this drawing of yours, but if it's not what you say, then I'm killing you and everyone on this planet. Got it?"

Goku nodded weakly, and yelped again as he was violently flipped onto his back, and the Prince's foot landed harshly on his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. The shorter man leaned over him, bracing his arm on his knee, and scowled. "I'm Vegeta. Prince Vegeta to you. Don't you _ever_ fucking forget it."

Vegeta…

Goku's eyes widened as the text on the bottom corner of that old drawing slowly translated in his head.

די קרוין שר פון סאַייאַנס, וועגעטאַ.

Tיe rויןowוין Prרc וןf סאSaiייאַans, וVעגgeאַa.

Tיe Crויןown Prרnce of Saiיyיאַans, וVeגgeta.

The Crown Prince of Saiyans, Vegeta.

"Your name's at the bottom," he rasped.

Prince Vegeta sniffed in disdain. "We'll see. I'll enjoy killing you if you're lying to me."

Goku nodded again and breathed a sigh of relief as Vegeta lifted his foot from his stomach. He was quiet for a moment, then asked, "How did I know you?"

He sneered. "Figure that out on your own. I really hate going down memory lane."

Goku briefly wondered why an alien would know what that meant, but he said nothing. Under much protest, Vegeta grabbed him by the hair again and lifted into the air. He glanced around (were eyes supposed to pause every so often like that?) and Goku felt more Ki pulses stretching out for a few miles.

"You're blind," Goku said aloud, trying to muster the energy to float and save his hair from impending doom.

A low growl escaped Vegeta's lips. "I know that, baka."

"You beat me so easily…"

"You're weak."

"You didn't even really try, and you beat me to a pulp that fast…"

Vegeta's grip tightened at the awe in the younger man's voice, and after crying out in pain, Goku wisely kept his mouth shut…

Until Vegeta flew back and tossed Goku on the ground. Goku looked up and saw Piccolo lying dead at Nappa's feet and Krillin about to be slaughtered at the hands of the man who called him brother.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I suck at fighting scenes. HOWEVER, for this one I have an excuse. Can you imagine Goku, at the level he was fighting Raditz, going against Vegeta? He'd be slaughtered in seconds…and we all know Vegeta likes to play with his food, cocky idiot. I swear I'll try to be better next time. Anyway, Goku's got his attention (aren't old kiddie drawings hilarious to look at?) and now Veggie-kun is curious, and…crap, I just killed Piccolo.<strong>

**I'M SORRYYYYY!**

**But review anyway *super sweet face***

**Ages: **

**Vegeta: 25**

**Goku: 22**

**Raditz: 28**

**Nappa: 61**

**Krillin: 24**

**Chichi: 22**

**Gohan: 1**

**More ages later when characters appear.**

**~KimiruMai**


	4. Trapped

**Well, this was sitting on my computer for a few months…sorry ^^' But I'm finally on Thanksgiving Break (PUMPKIN PIE!) So even though I really need to finish this novel for AP Lit, I'm going to write, just for you guys :D**

**Actually, I just have that urge, soo that's why :P **

**I should mention…I have a new poll up. It concerns Yu Yu Hakusho (which is now tied for 1****st**** place along with DBZ as my all-time favorite anime/manga), and Hiei, (who is definitely tied for 1****st**** place with Vegeta as my all-time favorite character). Check it out, will ya? Gracias :)**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, we all know I'm not filthy freaking rich or famous. Clearly, I own zip. **

**Song Prompt: Our Solemn Hour ~ Within Temptation**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Trapped <strong>

"No! No, don't, please!" Goku screamed, scrambling to his feet. He dove at Raditz, who raised an eyebrow. He didn't fall over or even stumble when Goku lost his footing and just barely caught himself on the arm that Raditz was about to use to fire a Ki ball at Krillin.

"Get off me," Raditz sneered.

"Don't kill Krillin!" the younger pleaded, gripping Raditz's arm as he tried to keep him from firing.

"What the hell, Kakarot. Don't you have any pride? Quit your begging."

"Please!"

Raditz looked up at Vegeta, who was scowling heavily at Goku's display. "I thought you were going to beat his ass," he said, rather coldly.

"I did beat his ass," Vegeta replied.

"Then why's he hanging on to me like a crybaby?"

"Kakarot says he has something that belongs to me. I intend to see if he's lying."

Krillin groaned, his grip on Raditz's wrist loosening. The Saiyan held him up by the throat, and Krillin's lips were turning a soft shade of blue. His leg was twisted strangely, and his body was covered in gashes, blood pooling in some and spilling clean over in others. His clothes were battered and burned, and there was a wound in his side.

"Please let him go!" Goku cried.

Raditz looked pointedly at Vegeta, who shrugged. Goku's apparent older brother sighed, upset at having his fun ended so abruptly, and promptly dropped Krillin on the ground.

Goku nearly shrieked and dove, just barely managing to catch his beaten friend. "Krillin!"

The bald former-monk groaned and passed out. A horrible thought went through Goku's head; what if Krillin didn't wake up?

"You monsters," Goku whispered.

"Enough of that, Kakarot," the Prince snapped. "On your feet. You will show me this drawing now."

"Drawing?" Nappa cried. "You stopped us because of a drawing?"

Clouded eyes flickered to the bald man, narrowed and dangerously flashing. "You question me?"

Nappa swallowed and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Ah, no, my Prince."

"You really think," Goku said, his voice sounding dark and furious, "that I'm going to take you near my _family_, just so you can have a look at a stupid drawing?"

Vegeta had his hand at the base of Goku's skull before he could even blink, the white glove emitting an eerie purple light. "You'll do as I say, third class," the prince growled, "or I'll kill everyone on this goddamned planet."

Goku's eyes widened, then narrowed with hate, and he nodded grimly.

_Chichi, Gohan…forgive me. _

Vegeta carried him by the back of his shirt, since he was too tired to fly, and against Goku's wishes, Raditz carried Krillin rather carelessly. The young…Saiyan? spent the entire trip worrying about his injured friend, his now endangered family, and even his rival, whom he knew was dead. Kami was dead too, he realized, and the Dragon Balls were gone.

"Which way, Kakarot?" Vegeta barked. "And don't you dare think about sending me on a wild goose chase. "

Goku looked up at met the prince's cold gaze without fear, even though he knew the elder could not see him. "There should be a mountain range to your left. In that mountain rage is a small set of hills. My house is there."

Prince Vegeta sent out pulse waves for a moment. Goku shuddered as the dark Ki hit his body, going out for miles and miles until they hit something and came back to him. Suddenly, Vegeta grunted. "Got it," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, and with that, they took off flying.

Goku gasped for air as they flew. He'd never flown this fast in his life, not even on Kinto'un. He glanced up and saw Prince Vegeta's features hardened with something that could have been determination or anger.

Unbeknownst to Goku, it really was anger. Vegeta felt the emotion often, but somehow it was different this time. He wasn't sure whether he felt anger because the vow of remembrance they'd made years ago was broken, or because he there might be a spark of hope in him that he was unaccustomed to. This certainly wasn't the way he pictured this little "visit" was going to go...and frankly, he was pissed off.

Goku ducked his head and took in a big breath of air before he looked back at the other two Saiyans. He was surprised to see Raditz and Nappa lagging far behind, and struggling to keep the Prince in their line of sight.

_How badly does he want that old picture? _Goku wondered.

* * *

><p>"There," Goku said reluctantly.<p>

His little cottage by the river almost seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, he loved it that much. Even from the height at which they flew, he could smell the scent of ham and rice floating up in to the air. Chichi had already begun to cook him dinner, despite the fact that it was barely 3:00, and the fact that he might have not returned today at all. His heart ached then, more fiercely than it had before, and he fought the urge to scream for his wife and child to run. Surely, _surely _Vegeta would kill them the moment their feet touched the grass.

"Cute place," Raditz said flatly, having finally caught up. "Where can I dump this corpse?"

A sound of horror escaped Goku's mouth, but then he realized that he could still dimly feel Krillin's Ki.

"Do you have a mate, Kakarot?" Prince Vegeta demanded.

Goku swallowed. "Yes."

"Give the corpse to his mate," the prince ordered. Raditz shrugged and floated down to the ground. Goku watched in misery as his new-found brother walked right up to the door and kicked it down.

Chichi screamed.

Nappa landed and stretched his arms over his head, giving Prince Vegeta an expectant look. "You coming, or what?" he asked.

Vegeta sneered at him and floated to the ground, still dragging Goku. The younger protested, still trying to get the shorter man to release his hair, as it was starting to ache rather horribly, but the spikey haired man paid him no mind.

"Tell your mate to hush," he barked, and he tossed Goku inside.

Chichi screamed again as her husband landed at her feet with a heavy thud. The tall man groaned, his ribs aching, and blood burst from his lips and spilled onto the floor. "Chi…" he groaned.

She wailed again, too frozen in fear to even move to help him. Though her hands covered her mouth, her fingers did little to block her screams.

"Chi, Chichi, be quiet, please. Chichi!" Goku grunted in pain as he forced himself to sit up and grab her arm. He yanked her to the floor, and she collapsed, sobbing in panic . He pushed her head into his chest – damn, that hurt – and smoothed her hair, whispering soothing words as he made a poor attempt to rock her. At the same time, he sent a glare to the Saiyans, who either glared back or scoffed at him.

The room was silent except for Chichi's now nearly silent cries, which alerted them to the fact that there was another source of tears coming from another room in the house.

"A hybrid child!" Raditz cried, disgusted and awed at the same time. "My nephew."

Goku growled, and Chichi started to cry again when she heard the term "nephew".

"Bring me the child," the prince ordered. Raditz nodded and dropped Krillin to the floor. He did not groan, or even twitch.

"Leave my son alone!" Goku howled.

The prince's eyebrows knitted, but Raditz continued on as though nothing had been said. He disappeared around the corner silently, tail flicking with both irritation and curiosity. Goku started to get up, but no sooner had he done this than Vegeta was at his side, growling.

_I dare you_, he seemed to say.

A moment later, Gohan's cries ceased. Chichi whimpered, and Goku's breath caught in his throat. Raditz's heavy footsteps sounded from the hallway, and when he reappeared, he was holding Gohan in one hand by the back of the boy's shirt. The young child's eyes were wide with surprise at having been so abruptly picked up by the giant stranger, his little mouth forming a small 'o'. Gohan glanced around the room; seeing Nappa and Vegeta's glares, his father clearly in pain on the floor, and tears in his mother's eyes, the 1 year old started to wail.

Raditz held him away at arm's length, grimacing. He shook the boy a little bit, but that only made Gohan cry harder, and his little fuzzy tail fell from underneath his shirt.

"Huh," Raditz said. "Would you look at that."

Gohan squirmed, and there was a soft snapping sound that mean the buttons on the back of his shirt had come loose. His little arms slipped through, and he squealed as he fell. Chichi started to shriek; the barbarian was going to drop her baby!

Raditz's tail darted out and curled around the boy's waist before he could land, however, and said furry limb lifted Gohan up until he was face level with his uncle. Raditz studied his pudgy face thoroughly, and Gohan's squirming stopped. He blinked at Raditz as though he had seen him before, then reached out and smacked the Saiyan's cheek a few times.

Raditz frowned, having not felt any type of sting whatsoever. "What do you think?" he asked finally.

Prince Vegeta wrinkled his nose. "He has a third class's Ki."

"He's a third class baby," Raditz said as he lowered the boy to look at his superior, slightly offended.

"Kakarot was stronger than a third class before his departure."

Raditz gave an expression that looked almost suspiciously like a child's pout, and Goku suddenly realized with disdain that he did have a resemblance to the taller male.

The Prince, having said Goku's Saiyan name, was suddenly reminded of why he'd come here in the first place. "Kakarot, go get that drawing. You have 3 minutes to bring it to me."

Goku shifted, as if to stand, and grimaced. His ankle felt like it was on fire, and his ribs weren't any better. "Chichi," he said, looking up to his wife, "you know where it is, don't you?"

"Tied to the Power Pole?" she answered shakily.

"Right. It's somewhere our room. Can you get it for me?"

Chichi blinked and swallowed, then looked up at Raditz and narrowed her eyes. "Give me back my baby, and I'll get it."

Vegeta's clouded eyes narrowed, too. "Two minutes and forty-seven seconds to go."

She paled a bit, but stood her ground.

Raditz rolled his eyes. "Go on, woman. I wouldn't harm my own nephew." As if to prove his point, he lifted the child onto his shoulder with his tail like a sack of potatoes, and patted the boy's head. Gohan blinked and looked at him.

Chichi eyed him suspiciously, glancing once at her child. After a quick moment of silence, she turned on her heel and ran to the bedroom she shared with her husband. She flung open the door and immediately began searching, raking her mind for the last place she'd seen the Power Pole.

Tears pricked at her eyes again. "_Nephew_?" she whispered to herself disbelievingly. "Nephew. He can't be Gohan's uncle…that means he's Goku's brother. That can't be. It can't…" she sobbed again as she searched the room, looking for the red weapon. "Goku isn't an alien. He isn't."

And yet, her mind kept coming up with reasons why he could be. His tail. His abnormal strength. His speed. His hair. His strangely shaped eyes. His enormous stature.

Why couldn't he be an alien? Because those didn't exist? Once upon a time, she had though vampires didn't exist. Demons didn't exist. Wish granting things like Dragon Balls didn't exist. Green people didn't exist. Men with three eyes didn't exist. Flying, shape shifting cats didn't exist. Genie's didn't exist. Flying carpets didn't exist. Golden clouds you could ride on _didn't exist_!

All these things existed. Why not aliens? Piccolo could be an alien. For all she knew, Tien could be an alien! Maybe Pu'ar was an alien!

Maybe Goku _was_ an alien.

She brushed tears away furiously, and a feeling of triumph shot through her as her hands felt the cool metal of the old, magic pole underneath their bed. She pulled it out and ran back to the living room after making sure that the paper was indeed wrapped around it.

"Here!" she said angrily, and she chucked the pole at the shortest man's face. He raised his hand and caught it in the blink of an eye, and Chichi fell back beside her husband as her knees gave way underneath her.

The short Saiyan pulled one of his gloves off in his teeth and held it there by the fingertip. His now bare fingers untwined the little cord around the paper easily, and when he removed it from the weapon, he let the old heirloom fall to the floor. His hands brushed over the lead image once, twice, and his thick brows lifted in surprise.

"Well?" Nappa asked impatiently.

"It's mine," the prince answered, his voice muffled a bit from the glove in his teeth, but his tone gave no indication that he'd changed his mind on anything.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I suppose we'll just take Kakarot and his brat and leave."

Chichi shrieked, and Goku yelled his objection.

"Get Kakarot, Nappa. He'll ride with you."

Nappa frowned, clearly displeased. "He won't fit in my pod, Prince Vegeta."

The Prince frowned too. That was a good point, but he didn't want anybody riding in _his_ pod. Kakarot wouldn't fit with Raditz, either, and frankly, Vegeta wasn't sure if the kid would make the long ride with Nappa as his caretaker. He opened his mouth to say that perhaps Nappa should just stay and demolish the planet while they returned and sent a pod back to retrieve him, when his scouter suddenly beeped loudly.

Frustrated that he couldn't read the screen, he pushed the red button on the side of the scouter to acknowledge the message. A feminine, robotic voice said in his ear, "Pods offline."

"What?" he demanded.

Hearing his voice, the computer reiterated. "Pods No. 238D, No. 239D, and No. 240D are no longer online. Communication systems and tracking systems have been destroyed."

The prince's left eye twitched, and Raditz and Nappa flinched, drawing back.

"WHO IN THE SEVEN HELLS DESTROYED OUR PODS?!" Vegeta roared furiously.

Raditz and Nappa cursed in their native language, their eyes (which, if you looked closely, were tinged with fear) were still locked on their leader.

Vegeta whirled on Goku and Chichi and pointed an accusing finger. "YOU!" he seethed. "You sent someone to trap me on this God forsaken planet, didn't you, you sonofabitch!"

"I didn't do anything," Goku defended. "When would I have possibly contacted anyone? I've been here with you the entire time."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Prince Vegeta screamed. "I'M STRANDED ON THIS STUPID MUDBALL OF A PLANET AND I _DON'T_ WANT TO HEAR YOUR LIP!"

Goku fell silent, seeing the blue aura that was now surrounding the flame haired man in jagged spikes. He was furious, and, given the younger's condition, he did not want to incur Vegeta's wrath anytime soon.

_Wise move, brother, _Raditz thought, and he patted his nephew's head again.

"GODDAMMIT, THE UNIVERSE HATES ME!" Vegeta yelled. "CAN'T ANYTHING GO MY WAY FOR ONCE?!"

_He's throwing a tantrum! _Goku realized in awe.

"EVERY FRICKIN TIME I NEARLY GET SOMETHING I WANT, IT'S LIKE A GODDAMNED BROKEN MIRROR! SHITTY LUCK OVER AND OVER AGAIN!"

_He's seriously throwing a tantrum!_

"FUCK THIS! I'M KILLING EVERYTHING ON THIS STUPID PLANET RIGHT NOW!" Having made this statement, Prince Vegeta whirled towards the door and started to leave. Goku's eyes widened; he couldn't be serious…

But as Vegeta headed for the doorway, he knew that he could…he was…perfectly serious.

Goku climbed to his feet, biting his lip to hide a groan. "No," he whispered.

Vegeta stepped across the threshold.

Goku tackled him, and Vegeta tripped. He gasped as the air was forced from his lungs upon their landing, and he tasted blood as he bit his tongue. "Ahck!"

"NO!" Goku yelled, trying to pin the prince. "YOU CAN'T! I WON'T LET YOU!"

Vegeta froze.

Goku stilled too, but he didn't loosen his grip. Why hadn't the Saiyan thrown him off already? He'd never fought someone who just froze on the battle field unless quaking with fear…he didn't know what the smaller male could possibly be planning.

"Get off me…"

Goku blinked, having just barely heard the soft murmur. "What?"

"I said, get off me, Kakarot!" Vegeta snapped, glaring at the wild haired Saiyan over his shoulder. He bared his teeth, canines sharp and gleaming, and his clouded eyes darkened.

Goku felt his muscles go slack.

Vegeta elbowed him in the stomach – _ribs!_ – and pushed Goku off of him. He growled low in his throat, raising his hackles. The fur of his tail bristled, and the appendage tightened around his waist. "Don't ever touch me again," he snarled, and before Goku could reply, or even react, the soft sound of a flash step was heard, and the dark prince disappeared.

* * *

><p><em>*A few minutes ago* <em>

"Can you believe this Ki?" Yamcha cried over the sound of the wind.

Tien shook his head, and Chiaotzu frowned. "It's insane," the triclops said back. "I've never felt anything like it."

"It's so dark," Chiaotzu added.

"I can barely sense Krillin and Goku over it," the scarred warrior said. "Crap, that's Piccolo too, isn't it?"

"We'd best hurry," Tien said. "They'll definitely need our help."

No sooner had he said this than the Ki's started spiking heavily, especially that of Goku, Krillin, and Piccolo. At first, the spikes were normal, just that of a man in battle, but, very quickly, they escalated into spikes of sheer panic. And what's worse…the Ki's belonging to that of their two friends and past enemy were weakening, and quickly. At some point, they became practically nonexistent.

"Shit," Tien cursed. "Let's hurry, guys!"

And hurry they did.

However, despite the fact that they used their best speeds to get there, by the time they had arrived on the battle field, the Ki's were gone (something they had sensed a while back and were eternally grateful for). They'd been expecting bodies, though; Goku and Krillin's Ki had disappeared. Surprisingly, the only body they found was Piccolo's.

"Oh no...Kami…" Yamcha whispered.

"No doubt, he's gone too," Tien said, frowning solemnly at the corpse.

"But, where's Goku and Krillin?" Chiaotzu asked, looking around.

"I don't know," Tien admitted. "They have to be around here someplace…I doubt they'd disintegrate their bodies, but not Piccolo's. That just doesn't make sense."

"So what," Yamcha asked skeptically, "you're saying they took the bodies with them?"

"No…I'm saying that maybe Goku and Krillin are still alive. Now the only question is, why do those monstrous Ki's want them?"

"We can't even sense them," Yamcha pointed out. "We don't know that they're alive."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Yamcha," Chiaotzu chided, still staring at Piccolo, or rather, what used to be Piccolo.

"I'm not. I'm being logical. We can't count on Goku to save us…not this time."

"He's right, much as I hate to admit it," Tien said. "We're going to have to do something ourselves."

"They killed Goku and Piccolo…what can we do?" Chiaotzu wondered helplessly.

The trio was silent.

Yamcha looked up, and suddenly said, "What's that?"

They all looked, and saw round, white pods with glass windows of blood red. They were situated in the middle of large craters, not too far from the battlefield, and the only thing that separated one from the other was the unique dents and scratches in the paint.

"They look like some kinda weird ships," Chiaotzu said.

"Let's go check them out," Yamcha said, flying over. The other two followed his lead, and upon landing, they circled the strange machines.

Tien rapped his knuckles against one. The deep, muffled _thunk_s meant that the metal was thick and study, and the material didn't even creak when he pushed on it. "It must be the ships that belong to those Ki's."

"Aliens," Yamcha realized.

"Is that so strange?" Tien murmured, fascinated.

"Of course it…" Yamcha began, "I mean…well I…"

"We've fought demons and vampires before," Chiaotzu said.

"I know, but…well it's…oh, never mind." The scarred warrior fell silent, then asked, "Hey, guys?"

"Hm?" Tien asked.

"Well…I was thinking…if these guys are strong enough to beat Goku so quickly…and we aren't as strong as Goku in the first place…we have no chance of beating them."

"Is there a point to this conversation?" Tien scowled.

"Yes, actually, if you'd let me finish," Yamcha scowled back. "I was going to say…if they're going to kill everybody here anyway…because they will, if they beat us…then shouldn't we try to stop them from doing it to other people?"

"Other people?"

"Like, other aliens. If they attack Earth, maybe they'll attack other planets. And we could stop them from doing that!"

Tien nodded. "So you're saying…we either defeat them here, or never let them leave to wreak havoc elsewhere."

"Exactly."

Tien looked at Chiaotzu, who nodded, then said, "It's a good idea, Yamcha."

The dark haired man nodded too, pleased with himself. "Alright, let's do it."

The three raised their hands, and Ki orbs of blue, purple, and green shot through the red glass and blew the pods to pieces. A moment later, over near Goku and Chichi's house, they felt a massive Ki spike in fury.

* * *

><p><strong>Alrighty then…Awkward beset friend moments. Gotta love 'em. Vegeta, stop being a child! Don't throw tantrums, you silly prince you!<strong>

**Any thoughts or Gohan and Raditz? Ya know I love the big goon :D **

**Anybody have an idea what Vegeta's gonna do when he finds who destroys his ship? *evil laughter* **

**Anyway, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! **

**~KimiruMai**


	5. Sort-Of-Alliance

**HOLY SHIT only four chapters and over 100 reviews! Whoop whoop! HOWEVER, I am severly disappointed with the reviews of Chapter 4. Only 17, guys? I haven't gotten that low since my early days, not on a continuous story, anyway. That like, oneshot rankings. That's terrible, especially since the first three chapters had like, 35. **

**Lunar Sinner: Well I, that it, erm….oh, just read the damn chapter -_-**

**ImaginaryInk: Ha, the thought of him throwing tantrums is endlessly amusing to me. LOLZ, I thought of that while I was writing it! Ah, TFS…**

**Pretty Assassin: I love Unca Radittsu too XD Thanks!**

**Teapot Munchkin: Ah, Nappa…hm. I honestly have no idea what use he is yet. I might kill him again. Maybe. ^^**

**Firestorm1991: Bullshit, they must XD Raditz will be interested in brotherhood, I think, but Goku…eh, not so much. And of course! What kind of BV writer would I be if he didn't? *shakes head***

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, yada yada yada.**

* * *

><p><strong>Song Prompt: Not That Beautiful ~ Papa Roach<strong>

**Chapter 5: Sort-of-Alliance. **

His power level was uneven, something it hadn't been in a long time. It had been a while since he was this infuriated.

But perhaps it was not simply fury. No, it almost certainly wasn't, or at least, not at Kakarot. Perhaps, towards the younger male, he felt…excited? Was that it? Excitement, yes. He'd never wanted to fight someone so much before…but then, disappointment reigned higher than excitement ever would. How could he fight him, truly fight him to the fullest, when he was hardly a match for Raditz? It was preposterous, truly it was! Without even breaking a sweat, he had brought Kakarot to his knees. He had him begging and groveling in the dirt in a matter of…not even a full two minutes! The weakness astounded him! The pathetic show of strength, the pitiful show of emotion that was even grander, the wretched sting of realizing that he'd been forgotten…!

Realizing that his thoughts of Kakarot's worthlessness had crossed with the feeling of betrayal that was threatening to rise in his chest, he growled at himself and sought of something else to think of. Almost immediately, another topic popped into his head, though he was by no means pleased with this one, either.

It had startled him, surprised him, when his Ki wave gave him a vague image of the lost Saiyan; how tall he'd grown, high over Vegeta's head! _He_ had always been the tallest as a child, and now here Kakarot had surpassed him by at least a foot.

Damn.

The difference should have not been so large, but he knew better than to think of that as Kakarot's fault. Bardock had been tall; it was only logical that both his sons would be, too. Vegeta's father had been nearly, if not just as, tall as the scarred warrior had been, and yet Vegeta had not been gifted with the height of his father. How could he, when his childhood had been spent on a battlefield, half of which was one-sided?

Frieza had done this to him.

He grimaced at the thought, his lips rising over his teeth. After a moment, he shook himself. Now was not the time to be thinking of stupid things like height differences or betrayal or shit like that. Now was the time to be thinking of who the hell stranded him on this goddamned planet, and how he would spend beautiful hours making them suffer.

The perpetrators would be witness to a wrath the likes of which the Earth had never seen.

* * *

><p>Tien immediately regretted his actions when he felt the enormous spike in Ki. This, possibly, could have been the stupidest thing they'd ever done to date, and that, he knew, was saying a lot. Perhaps, he hoped, he had simply imagined it. Perhaps he was feeling dizzy from something and had mistaken it for Yamcha's Ki, or better yet, Goku's.<p>

But when Yamcha laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, saying, "Heh…maybe we shouldn't have done that after all…", he knew that his brain was working just fine.

Chiaotzu tugged his pant leg, nearly trembling at the source of power, and even worse, the heated anger intended towards them, then asked, "What are we going to do, Tien?"

The triclops pressed his lips together. "I…I guess we'll hide somewhere."

"Hide?" Yamcha cried incredulously.

"Unless you'd like to die first, yes."

The scarred fighter's mouth went slack for a moment, then closed, and he nodded grimly. "We should hurry, then."

"Where?" Chiaotzu asked again.

Tien scanned the placed. "For now, over there." He pointed in the direction of a thick forest out in the distance. "I doubt whoever it can sense Ki, and even if they can, we can hide our power levels. We'll hide in the brush until they leave."

"It's a shame none of us can ride Kinto'un," Yamcha murmured as the three sped off. "We could go ask Mr. Popo for senzu beans, and bring them to Goku."

"If he's alive," Tien said. "I was only guessing, earlier."

"I'm sure he is," Yamcha insisted, though he didn't look too sure himself. "He has to be. You're reasoning was just about flawless, Tien. "

Again, the bald man was silent. He knew his logic was flawless…perhaps Goku was worth utterly destroying, but Krillin? Over Piccolo? If you wanted to be completely rid of a threat, Krillin would not be the one you disintegrated. Much as he liked the bald monk, Piccolo could kick his ass any day.

He could feel that horrible power headed towards them, getting closer with each passing second. For the first time in his life, Tien felt truly afraid for his life.

Chiaotzu gasped suddenly. "Hurry!" he hissed, and forced himself faster.

Not knowing that Chiaotzu could fly that fast in the first place, Tien also pushed himself faster. He felt himself straining, like a kid trying to run a mile as quickly as they could, and when they finally landed deep in the brush, all three of them felt exhausted.

"Hide your Ki, quick," Chiaotzu urged. "It's nearly here!"

They obeyed, and perhaps a minute later, the power level landed near the pods.

* * *

><p>Vegeta's dark, clouded eyes flitted over the pods as he layered his Ki over them, searching for fingerprints. The only thing he found was a slight smudge, most likely from someone's fist, but that didn't tell him much. He growled; his ships were completely and utterly wrecked. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, he could do to repair them. They were in too many pieces.<p>

He threw back his head and howled with rage. "WHOEVER DID HAS HELL TO PAY, YOU HEAR ME?! WRETCHED EARTHLING SCUM!"

He breathed deeply then, his brows knitted as he concentrated, and he thrust his Ki out from his body, the waves rippling out for hundreds of miles.

* * *

><p>They nearly held their breaths, they were so nervous. Forcing their Ki down as low as it could possibly go, they sat there in total silence, not moving a muscle. After what seemed like a horribly long time, they heard an outraged cry.<p>

"WHOEVER DID THIS HAS HELL TO PAY, YOU HEAR ME?! WRETCHED EARTHLING SCUM!"

They flinched and remained in their place, and in the back of their minds, they wondered why the voice spoke in fluent English.

A minute later, something thin and warm hit them. Each of them nearly yelped in surprise, and for just a moment, their Ki spiked, just slightly.

* * *

><p>He growled; too many goddamned life forms near. Kakarot and that Namek were surely the strongest things on this planet, so he'd been expecting something weak, but as of now, he was only getting animals.<p>

But when his Ki wave pashed over three animals in particular, their Ki spiked.

This wasn't unusual; any living thing that felt his Ki wave for the first time would jump, but not that much. There would be a spike of Ki that was small and hardly insignificant, perhaps one single power level, but not ten. Not fifteen. Not twenty.

A grin made its home on his mouth, and his feet lifted from the ground.

* * *

><p><em>I swear to Kami, I feel like someone's Ki is stuck to me, <em>Yamcha sent telepathically.

Chiaotzu's link proved useful in many situations, and this one was no different.

_It's like a homing device, _Tien thought back.

_We need to get out of here, _Chiaotzu gulped.

Very carefully, they inched back, then inwardly groaned in dismay when the Ki remained pinned to them.

_I guess we're just screwed, _Yamcha murmured solemnly.

Tien's third eye caught the sight of a figure with black hair flying towards them. _I guess so. _

_It's been fun, guys, _the former bandit said, giving his old friends a smile. They returned it.

_See you in heaven? _Chiaotzu grinned.

_Or hell, knowing Yamcha, _Tien chuckled.

_Hey!_

_At Yemma's place, then, _Chiaotzu amended.

_Sure, _Tien nodded. _Yemma's place. _

A man landed in the forest near them.

That's_ him? _Yamcha thought incredulously. _He's so small! _

Tien scowled. _You know better than to judge a person by size. His Ki is massive. _

_I know, but I expected him to be scary looking. _

Another wave of Ki struck them, and the man whirled. His eyes, clouded over with a hint of grey, settled on them, and suddenly, he seemed _very_ scary.

"You sons of bitches," the man murmured.

They all froze, then Tien accused, "You're the one who killed Piccolo, Krillin, and Goku, aren't you."

The stranger's knitted brows lifted with surprise. "Goku?"

"We felt you fighting him," Yamcha snapped. "Don't act innocent."

The man snarled, then hissed and ran his fingers through his flame hair. "Damn that Kakarot," he snarled. "He lied to me." He turned to glare at them again. "You're coming with me," he ordered. "I'll kill you in front of Kakarot's very eyes."

"We don't know any Kakarot, so it doesn't matter," Tien shot back.

"Tien, please hush," Chiaotzu whispered. "You're making him angry."

"You do know of him," the man growled. "You're precious 'Goku' is the same man I speak of. He sent you here to do his dirty work, and had the nerve to lie about it. You'll die at his feet."

"Goku didn't send us anywhere. We came on our own," Yamcha informed him curtly.

"That so?" the alien said. "Well, that changes everything, doesn't it."

"If you're going to kill us, just do it," Tien said bravely.

"Trust me, three eyes," the man returned, turning away, "if you don't do want I say right now, you'll be losing a few body parts before I actually kill you. I'm willing to be merciful here." He paused. "You can even see your 'Goku' once more before I kill him too."

The trio looked at each other. It would be better to die with Goku than in a forest with a bunch of squirrels, they decided, and they followed the man.

"Who are you?" Tien asked finally. "What do you want here?"

When the man spoke, his voice was hardened with anger and bitterness. "_That_," he growled, "is none of your concern."

* * *

><p>"Shit," Goku murmured.<p>

"What's wrong?" Chichi asked.

"He's found Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha."

Chichi gasped, her mouth hid behind her hand, and tears brimmed in her eyes. "Is he…"

Goku shook his head. "They're still alive…I think he just scared them." He paused, the cursed again and said, "I bet they destroyed the Saiyan ships!"

"Idiots!" Chichi hissed through her tears. "Now we're stuck with them!"

Deep, rumbling laughter came from the corner of the room. "You've been living with one for years," Raditz snorted. "And now you're telling me you don't want anything to do with them. Will you leave your mate, Chikyuu woman?"

She glared at him. "Goku's not like you. He's no monster, like you are!"

He snorted again. "Woman, you don't know the half of it. The "Goku" you love so much is a shadow of Kakarot, my true younger brother. Deep inside him, there will always be an instinct to kill and draw blood, in the same way that he has an instinct to fight."

"You're lying," she cried, but she wondered. Was it true? Were there Saiyan instincts still in him?

Yes, far too many. His love of fighting. His massive appetite. His playful growls, his vicious ones. His snarls, his whimpers, his occasionally surfacing desire to hunt. Why didn't she see it before? Had the strangeness of him, his hair and his tail and his strength, all their adventures…had they made her blind to the obvious? Had the smallest things snuck up on her, hid from her, or had she just been to at ease with it all to notice?

"I'm not like you," Goku snarled, and for a moment, his soft brown eyes flashed with murderous hate.

Chichi started to cry again.

Gohan reached for his mother, but his uncle clucked his tongue at the boy, and poked the child's nose as if to push him back. Gohan blinked and stared at the man's huge hands, even bigger than those of his father's, and began to slap at them as though he wanted to play a game of patty-cake.

Raditz, who had no clue that such a game even existed, simply frowned at how weak the hits were. His scouter beeped on his face, and he reached up to touch the red button. "Yeah?"

"_I've found the culprits_," came Vegeta's voice.

"D'you kill 'em?"

"_Not yet._ _They'll die in front of Kakarot. He lied to me._"

Raditz blinked, and glanced at his brother. "What are their Ki's like?"

"_One's a telepath, the second is some sort of stealth fighter, and the other is just a weakling._"

"Kakarot," Raditz said, "You know anything about a telepath and a stealth fighter?"

The younger man blinked, then nodded. "Those are my friends, Tien and Chiaotzu. I haven't seen them in years."

Raditz thought for a minute, then said into the scouter, "I don't think he lied, Vegeta. You know Kakarot can't lie to save his life."

The Saiyan Prince muttered something unintelligible before he snapped, "_When I want your opinion, Third Class, I'll ask for it_," and he cut the link.

Raditz sighed.

"What did he say?" Nappa asked.

"'Says he found the guys that destroyed our pods. He's bringing them hear so Kakarot can watch them die."

"No!" Goku yelled. "He can't do that!"

Nappa snorted. "Uh, yes, yes he can. He can do whatever he wants."

"You'll all rot in _hell_," Goku hissed.

The Saiyans laughed. "Sorry, Kakarot," Raditz snickered. "We've known that for a long time. There's no going back, not for us."

It hit him then, truly hit him, that he was dealing with utter madmen, and their leader was Satan's Incarnate.

* * *

><p>Prince Vegeta kicked down the door, but he didn't bother breaking the doorknob like Raditz had. This time, the door came off the hinges went flying. Goku and Chichi ducked, and it flew past them. Vegeta pushed his three captives into the house and stormed in, grabbing Goku by his gi and lifting him from the ground.<p>

"You lied to me, you third class son of a bitch!" he snarled.

Goku was starting to think that 'son of a bitch' was his favorite saying. "I didn't."

"These idiots claim your friendship, and they are responsible for destroying my ships!" he growled, livid. "Do not attempt to tell me you had nothing to do with this."

Goku growled back at him, bristling. "In case you didn't know, there's more than one good person in the universe…you know, people who want to protect planets from monsters like you."

"You _dare_ speak to me like that?!" the prince roared. "I should kill you for your insolence! Weakling filth!"

Raditz cleared his throat. "Your Grace…" he began.

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta screamed. "You and your brother are _pissing me off _today and I am _this close _to blasting you both into the next dimension!"

"I'm telling you I didn't do it, and I didn't," Goku snapped at him. "I'm not a liar. You're overreacting."

"You don't even know what that means!" Vegeta yelled. "And I know you don't because _I _had to explain to you what it meant! Stop acting cute with me!"

"I'm not acting anything, I'm telling you the goddamned truth!" Goku yelled back. "I don't remember you, I didn't destroy your fucking ships, and for God's sake I don't know what the hell you want from me!"

They both stopped and glared at each other, two pairs of furious eyes never wavering. The intense stare of the prince's sightless eyes very nearly unnerved Goku, but he was not afraid. He would not allow himself to be.

"What do you want?" he finally asked.

Vegeta blinked once, his ever present scowl still prominent on his face. Before he answered, he took the red scouter off his face and tossed it to the side. Behind him, Raditz and Nappa did the same. "I came back to get you so you could help us fight Frieza," he said. "But you're so goddamn pathetic, it was a wasted trip." He snarled suddenly. "And on top of things, I'm stuck on this backwater mudball of a planet, thanks to your stupid friends!"

Goku's inward demeanor changed immediately, though his outward expression remained suspicious and defiant. "Who's Frieza?"

At the question, the Prince's grip loosened subconsciously, and he let Goku 's feet touched the ground slowly. "Frieza," he growled out the name, "is the emperor of a powerful intergalactic empire, and he is the one responsible for killing our race."

The protector in Goku surfaced once more. "All the Saiyans?" he whispered, almost a hiss.

"The only survivors are the ones you see here."

"Son of a bitch," Goku murmured. Great…now he was saying it. "Who could do something like that?"

"Someone who's so sadistic, he makes me look like a rabbit," Vegeta snapped bitterly. His fists tightened, his clouded eyes no longer focused on the younger Saiyan before him and filled with hate.

Goku was silent, shifting on his sore ankle uncomfortably. After a moment, he said, "I want to hear your story."

The Prince growled. "What does it matter? You're of no use to me. I should kill you for allowing yourself to exist."

Goku wasn't much one to be hurt by insults thrown by enemies, but for some reason that one stung. "It does matter," he insisted. "I can train. I can get stronger. If this guy is as evil as you say then he should be taken out."

"If you were on par with me," Vegeta snapped, "that might have been the case. However, since you're barely half of Raditz's strength, that is unlikely to happen."

"I don't believe you," Goku declared. "There's always a way."

"That, you naïve fool," Vegeta informed him coldly, "is a fucking lie." He blinked then, as if remember something, and whirled on the three humans who had been standing in the corner while he argued with the younger Saiyan. "As for you," he said, a bit too calmly.

Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu swallowed.

"Was there a particular reason you destroyed my ships?" he asked, taking a few purposeful steps towards them.

"We…uh," Yamcha sputtered. "That is…"

"Yamcha, stop stuttering," Tien scolded. "If he kills us, we can at least go out with pride."

Vegeta threw his head back and laughed. "Pride? You know nothing of pride, you imbecile. Your so called "pride" is insignificant compared to that of a Saiyan's. You will go out whimpering and begging for mercy."

"Never," Tien snarled.

"True pride will keep you from screaming," the prince said. "I will help you discover if you really have it."

The triclops paled, but would not back down.

"Need I ask again? Why did you destroy our pods?"

"We decided that if we couldn't stop you from destroying our planet, we would stop you from destroying others," Yamcha said, without stuttering this time.

"Oh, noble ones," the flame-haired Saiyan sneered. "In that case, that's all I need to know. Prepare to die."

"WAIT!" Goku hollered.

Curious to see what he would say, Vegeta paused.

"What if we all trained?" Goku asked quickly. "I know the masters of Earth couldn't do much to help us in this case…but what if we had masters above that level? Kami might not be here to get us to Yemma's place…but I'm sure Mister Popo can come up with something. We could even train in the Pendulum Room! That helps a lot, I swear it does. I can get stronger."

Vegeta's dark, clouded eyes narrowed. "Why should I believe you?"

"You're stuck here anyway," Goku reasoned. "At least this way you can get some good training in. I might not be a match for you yet," here, Vegeta's nose wrinkled in disgust, "but I can promise you that even you will have a challenge in the Pendulum room. Trust me."

"Goku!" Tien cried. "You actually want to help him get stronger? What happens if he turns on us later? He's already powerful enough to destroy the planet. What's to stop him from killing us when he's done with his training?"

Vegeta processed the question, and coming up with no answer himself, he turned to Goku and said, "Yes, Kakarot, what's to stop me?"

Goku paused, then said, "Well…I will."

All the aliens laughed. "You!" Raditz chortled.

"Oh, my," Nappa snickered, "he really is Kakarot."

"You couldn't beat me to save your life, clown," Vegeta snorted, "or even the life of your little bald friend there. If I were to get stronger, you'd all be dead faster than you could blink."

It was then that the three humans noticed Krillin on the floor by the couch. "Krillin!" Yamcha cried, kneeling by his friend.

"You did this!" Tien snarled at Vegeta.

He grinned. "_I _didn't. Raditz did."

Hearing his name, the long haired Saiyan lifted Gohan from his shoulder with his tail and took a sweeping bow. "I hardly broke a sweat," he said.

"You'll pay for this," Yamcha swore angrily.

"I'll get strong enough to stop you," Goku promised. "I fight you to the death, if I have to, but only after that tyrant is dead. What do you say?"

Vegeta seemed to think about it for a moment. "You really think that this Pendulum Room will help to increase my strength?" he asked.

"Yes. You can defeat Freezer –"

"Frieza."

" – Easily. I bet another of my friends can come up with something good to train with too."

Yamcha yelled, "Don't you dare bring Bulma into this!"

"Who is Bulma?" Vegeta demanded.

"One of my oldest friends," Goku explained. "I've known Bulma since I was a child. Even back then, B-chan was a genius."

"And this human can build training facilities adequate for a Saiyan?"

"Sure."

The Prince folded his arms and bit his lip thoughtfully, his fingers drumming on his biceps. "Very well," he agreed, "but you will provide all three of us with food and housing until the day we engage Frieza."

"We don't have enough room here, or nearly enough food, if you all eat like Goku," Chichi said quietly.

"I'm sure we can think of something," Goku said hurriedly, not wanting his on-the-spot plan to unravel. "Maybe Bulma can help us out with that, too."

"Stop dragging Bulma into this!" Yamcha yelled angrily.

"It's the only way," Goku insisted. Turning to Vegeta, he said, "You got a deal, but in return you have to promise not to kill anyone until we beat Frieza."

"Until _I_ beat Frieza, you insignificant spawn," Vegeta spat. "And if that's all, then fine. Done."

Goku held out his hand, and Vegeta's Ki passed over him once, the shorter man's brows lifting with confusion.

"It's a handshake," Goku explained. "It's how we seal deals here." To demonstrate, he grabbed Vegeta's hand shook it firmly. "See?"

The Prince shook it back on instinct, then smacked the younger's hand away. "I thought I told you not to touch me," he snarled.

Goku laughed nervously. "Heh…sorry."

"Fetch this Bulma person at once," Vegeta ordered, turning away with his arms folded once again. "Nappa, Raditz, with me. We have things to discuss."

Raditz, with his arms folded as well, sat his nephew down with his tail, and Gohan looked up at him. "Back!" he demanded, reaching for the man. Raditz either didn't see him or ignored him, and followed his prince outside.

Chichi snatched her baby and hugged him tightly. "Don't worry, Gohan, I never let that monster touch you again. Everything's going to be okay."

"Goku, how could you?" Yamcha hissed. "How could you betray Bulma like that?"

"It was the only thing I could do," Goku said, pushing his bangs back from his face, only to have them flop back into place immediately. "It was either that, or let him destroy Earth."

"But now he can destroy it even more easily," Tien pointed out.

"No," Goku swore. "I won't let him. He might get stronger, but so will I, and faster than he will. If it comes down to it, I will defeat him."

"If it comes down to it?" Chiaotzu gaped. "Goku-san, I'm sorry to tell you, but this might be one of the villains you shouldn't give a second chance to."

Goku shrugged and went to pick up the phone to call Bulma. "I dunno, Chiaotzu, he gave us a second chance."

The little telapath blinked and looked up at Tien and Yamcha, who stared back with equally shocked expressions.

* * *

><p>"I don't know about this, Prince," Nappa said, looking uneasy. "I don't trust them."<p>

"Neither do I," Prince Vegeta said, "but if this Pendulum Room doesn't actually exist, then I'll just kill him and everyone else here."

"What if it's a trap?" Raditz asked carefully. "What if that room traps you inside for eternity?"

"Well then, I suppose _you_'ll have to kill your brother and make one of the imbeciles let me out."

Raditz grimaced at that remark. He didn't trust his brother any more than either of them, but that didn't mean he wanted to kill him, or not have a chance to at least talk to him about some things.

"This trip really didn't go as planned, did it?" he muttered.

Prince Vegeta scowled. "No, it did not."

"You think this Bulma person is as smart as they say?" Nappa asked, leaning against the side of the little house.

"He'd better be," Vegeta snarled, "Because if he isn't, I'll kill him and Kakarot in a heartbeat."

While Raditz somehow doubted this, he couldn't help wondering. Frieza's ships was full of the most brilliant scientists in the galaxy, and he wondered how this Bulma guy would compare.

* * *

><p>"I don't think we should tell her about how evil these guys are," Goku said reluctantly after getting off the phone with the heiress.<p>

"Probably not," Yamcha agreed, just as reluctantly. "She'd freak out…and badmouth them. They'd kill her in an instant."

Everyone nodded their silent agreement.

"Well," Goku cleared his throat, "I'm going to go see if I have any Senzu beans left." They all nodded, and Goku disappeared to the kitchen. After digging around in the cabinets for a while, he found three Senzu beans, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. No doubt, Prince Vegeta would not have been pleased if one of them had tried to leave and go get one.

"Here, give this to Krilin," he said, entering into the living room again. He handed the bean to Yamcha, who in turn gave it to Krillin, and after a moment the bald ex-monk coughed violently and sat up, spitting blood out of his mouth. Chichi grimaced at the floors, but said nothing, as she was just as worried as everyone else, so she said nothing.

"How do you feel, Krillin?" Goku asked, chewing on a bean himself.

"Better than I did," Krillin muttered. He gasped suddenly. "Crap, they killed Piccolo!"

"We know," Tien sighed. "Kami and the Dragon Balls are most likely gone as well."

Krillin groaned, then blinked. "When did you guys get here?"

"A few minutes ago," Chiaotzu said.

"We, uh, kinda destroyed their pods so they couldn't terrorize the rest of the universe, so the shortest one got pissed and brought us here," Yamcha laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"That was a good idea, I guess," Krillin said, sounding unsure.

"We've reached an agreement with them, though," Chiaotzu told him. "Goku has agreed to let him use the Pendulum Room to get stronger so he can defeat an evil tyrant called Frieza."

"What?!" Krillin shrieked.

"It was the only way," Goku said. "I made him promise not to kill anyone in exchange for that, food, and a place to stay."

"And he's totally exploiting Bulma to do it," Yamcha grumbled.

"I am not. She'll be glad to help."

"So long as she doesn't know anything about the situation," Tien reminded him.

"So don't tell her," Goku replied. "Kay, Krillin? It's a secret."

He nodded, still feeling sick with fear of the men who's Ki he felt just outside.

After a while, a plane was heard overhead, and Goku rushed outside. He nearly collided with Vegeta, who had been coming back in, and quickly told the shorter male to not make it entirely obvious that he was evil to Bulma.

"Oh, and why ever not?" the prince demanded.

"Because she's a hothead. She'll be badmouthing you, just a warning…that's how she is. But I can tell you that it'll be worse if she knows, and I really don't want her to die. Please, if you can help it, don't talk to her, and don't be offended by any of the shit she says. She doesn't mean it."

Vegeta blinked. "She?"

The plane landed, and a young woman stepped out. "Hey, guys! Long time no see!"

"Hiya, Bulma!" Goku called, and to the old man that stepped out behind her, "Hi, Master Roshi!"

"I felt strong Ki fighting you, Goku," the old master was quick to say, "And I do believe it's these very men here."

Goku laughed nervously and waved his hands in front of him. "No, no, that was just a misunderstanding. These are…uh, aliens called Saiyans. They have tails like me, and they said I'm one too."

The old master blinked, as did the other human fighters. They had not been aware of this. They had not even noticed when Vegeta had called him Raditz's brother earlier.

"So, this is Prince Vegeta," Goku continued, his voice an octave higher than it normally was due to his nervousness, and he put emphasis on the 'prince' so the others would know to call him such, "that's…um, Nappa, right? And that's Raditz, my…my brother."

"Brother?!" everyone cried. They all started talking at once. "You've got to be kidding me!" "That's insane, he can't be related to Goku!" "It doesn't make sense!" "But, they look a little alike, did you notice?"

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta roared. "Enough of your foolish banter. Their brotherhood does not matter. What matters is that I'm stuck here and I need training equipment. I was told someone named Bulma would build me what I require."

The addressed heiress stepped forward. "That's me," she said, holding out her hand to shake. When he didn't take it, she awkwardly lowered her arm. "Ah, sorry, I don't know your race's proper greeting. I've never met a prince before."

He stared at her with his clouded eyes, which reminded her of something she had seen once, but she couldn't place it. "Kakarot," he said, "who is this female?"

"That's Bulma, she just told you," Goku said, confused.

"You've brought me a woman to make me equipment for training?" he demanded.

Goku's mouth fell open. "You thought Bulma was a boy?" He might have not known the difference of the genders as a child, but he highly doubted that this grown man would have the same issue, blind or not. "But her name is so girly."

The small Saiyan very nearly blushed. "It's not that impossible!" he snapped. "I don't know your stupid Earth naming customs, and it's not unusual for a male's name to end in an 'A', if you didn't notice."

Goku held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, well…she's a girl, and there she is."

"What good is this simple woman going to do?" the prince scowled.

"Hey, this 'woman' is the smartest person on Earth, buddy," Bulma said indignantly. "I'm the best you're ever going to find here."

"She's a genius, I told you that," Goku insisted. "Just trust me."

The prince sniffed arrogantly and turned his gaze on the woman, using his Ki to study her. She was thin and weak, but she had a sort of air about her, as though she believed herself to be a greatly important person. He wrinkled his nose a bit.

Suddenly, Goku cried, "Oh! I guess you can't see her. Bulma-chan, Prince Vegeta's blind, so –"

"Really?" Bulma said, stunned. "But Master Roshi said that you lost to him, Goku!"

"My blindness doesn't make me helpless, you stupid woman!" Vegeta snapped. "Do not dare insinuate that again."

"Well, sorry, sheesh," she muttered, taking it that his being blind was a touchy subject. "It just surprised me, Kami."

"Hmph."

Goku cleared his throat. "As I was saying, B-chan is skinny, with short blue hair and eyes, and pale skin. In case you were curious."

Vegeta blinked. Could it be possible that he did remember a little bit of their childhood? He hadn't even asked for this woman's appearance, or anyone else's, and yet…

"You were staring at her, so I just assumed…" Goku trailed off when Vegeta remained silent.

No, he hadn't remembered, the prince realized with slight bitterness. He'd just been running his mouth. "How soon can I have the equipment?" he demanded.

"Oh, probably in a few weeks," Bulma said. "Some of it I already had made in case Goku ever wanted to use some of it, but the rest will have to be built from scratch."

"Make it as fast as you possibly can," Vegeta ordered. "I don't have time to dawdle; Frieza will wonder what became of us."

Suddenly, Raditz's stomach growled lightly. He chuckled and rubbed his belly. "Heh…I guess I'm hungry."

Three other stomach's gave a loud reply. Nappa frowned, Goku laughed, and Vegeta blushed a little. "Get us food," he commanded.

"Oh, about that," Goku kind of grinned at Bulma. "These guys eat a lot, and Chichi says we don't have enough…"

"Oh, damn you, Goku, you're so lucky I'm rich," Bulma groaned.

He laughed. "Sorry…you have plenty of room at CC, don't you?"

"Yeah, sure." She looked over his shoulder and saw the damage to the house. "Do you need a place to stay while that's repaired?"

"That'd be great!" Goku smiled.

"If it's not too imposing," Chichi added.

"Of course not, you know I have oodles of space," Bulma smiled, then looked at the baby in Chichi's arms. "Holy crap, that's a kid. Why don't you guys ever call me up and tell me when shit like this happens?"

Now that the heiress had defused the situation (though it was quite accidental), everyone suddenly noticed Gohan, and started murmuring and cooing over the kid, all the while passing suspicious glances to the Saiyans.

Goku rubbed his son on the head proudly as everyone started asking questions, but he didn't really pay attention to Chichi's answers. He looked up from the clustered group of people, most of which still smelled of fear, and for just a second, he thought he met eyes with the Prince, but that, he decided after a moment, was impossible. Feeling uncomfortable with the blind man's stare, he looked at his brother, who watched him observantly and curiously, his tail flickering at his side.

The young Saiyan looked up to the sky, and guessing that, because Kami was an alien too, he wasn't the real God, so it was okay to pray that everything was going to be alright. He prayed that everyone would live, that the Saiyans were trustworthy, that he would find out who this Prince Vegeta was, or had been, to him, that the man who called him brother wouldn't be so bad after all, and that he hadn't dug himself a deep, ugly grave like he felt he had done.

Prince Vegeta's clouded eyes rested in the direction of the little group of people. He could see nothing, but his senses still outlined that crazily shaped hair, the same as he remembered it, and he wondered what this unsure feeling in his chest was.

He didn't know whether he should be excited or paranoid of the younger Saiyan, and unlike he had imagined it a few times, he wasn't too keen of finding out.

* * *

><p><strong>I found this chapter very, very awkward to write, but I hope it turned out okay. I honestly can't tell anymore. I've read it too many times, despite it probably being stuffed with errors, as usual. I need a beta that's online as often as I am -_-<strong>

**OH MAH GOSH B-CHAN'S HERE! Oh gosh, I already have a cute little scene planned out for her and Veggie-kun, but it seems a bit too soon to use it. Le sigh. **

**I wanted to have that little teeny tiny hardly noticeable moment with Goku and Raditz staring at each other. This story, of course, isn't going to solely be about Goku-san and Vegeta-kun; Raditz-chan will definitely have some importance here. He is Goku's brother, after all. I have to give them their little family monkey moments :3 **

**Anyway, talking too much. You know the drill, REVIEW! And more than last time, that was pathetic for me, especially on this story! **

**~KimiruMai**


	6. Getting Used To

**So yeah, I've had half of this sitting abandoned on my computer for a while now. Oh well. School is trying to kill me. I won't say this is the most fabulous chapter in the world, but I do like some parts of it. **

**Disclaimer: Da-dum, da-dum, da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum da-duuuum, dee-dee dee-dee dum. **

**Song Prompt: Way Home ~ Ed Sheeran**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Getting Used To<strong>

He opened his eyes, and of course, saw nothing, but he also felt something soft against his lashes, and his cheeks. Frowning, he ran his hand over the material, and slowly breathed in the scent of his surroundings. It smelled slightly stale, as though no one had been present for a while, but he also smelled his own scent in the slightly disturbed air.

That's right…he was at that woman's house. Bulma.

The female had made an attempt to show him around his room so he wouldn't bump into anything, upon which he had promptly shut the door in her face and begun to look about on his own. There were two dressers of smooth wood, about as tall as he was, a large closet that even Raditz could move around freely in, a nightstand, and a startlingly large bathroom with a giant tub, separate shower, and a rather impressive stock of soft, thick towels.

But his favorite part of the room, if he were to pick, was the bed.

It was enormous; he'd almost been unsure of what it was even with his Ki sense, because he had not slept in one, or even been near one, in many years. Startled and unsure of whether or not this could be a trick of some sort, he had stretched out his hands until they met the soft material of the comforter, and carefully climbed into it. The mattress was absolutely heaven, as though it was stuffed with down feathers, clothed in smooth linen sheets and laden with oversized pillows.

He had climbed into bed almost immediately after taking an unnecessarily quick shower.

He stretched out his legs and yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, the blankets piling around his waist. That was the best sleep he'd had in _ages_. He purred contentedly as he stretched his arms over his head and listened to his joints pop softly, then climbed out of bed. The carpet was warm and fuzzy underneath his feet, and he curled his toes in pleasure. _This,_ he decided, was how a prince should live.

He glanced toward the doorway, and decided that he would put off training for this morning. He'd only just gotten here, after all, and none of the Saiyans, humans, or otherwise would be a challenge for him. It'd be such a waste to get up and beat those morons into the ground, especially since he wasn't feeling particularly grumpy this morning…

His tail flickered happily as he sank into the steaming hot water. The rectangular tub was styled so that water was constantly spilling over the edge like a waterfall, filled with bubbles from a few tiny motors in the side, and was big enough to entirely swallow his form. He sighed and slipped underneath the water, and when he surfaced, his hair fell down his back.

Heaven, absolute _heaven._

Bulma yawned as she walked down the hallway, knocking on doors and muttering quick sentences to whoever answered. The only one she'd yet to rouse was the prince, who's door her hand hovered currently hovered over.

"Prince Vegeta, breakfast is ready," she called.

Nothing.

Frowning, Bulma knocked again, and harder this time. "Prince Vegeta?"

Still no response.

She turned the knob and opened the door a crack, and was stunned to find the bed empty and clearly slept in. Curious, she opened it wider and took a step in. "Prince Vegeta?" she called again loudly.

"What?" came a sleepy voice from the bathroom.

"Oh…um, breakfast is ready."

"Bring it up to me."

Bulma put her hands on her hips, even though he couldn't see her. "We don't eat in the bedrooms unless it's a light snack," she informed him. "Breakfast is far too messy of a meal to be bringing upstairs."

A growl came from the same direction as before. "Very well. I will be down shortly."

Bulma sighed and left, shaking her head. Was this how every conversation with this guy was going to go? He spoke in such clipped, abrupt sentences! How was she supposed to develop machines for him if he wouldn't speak elaborately?

"Goku, I'm going to kill you," she muttered as she went down the stairs and sat at the table.

"Hm?" Goku asked, just sitting down himself.

"Nothing."

"Oh, okay. Morning, B-chan."

"Morning, Son-kun."

"Gosh, I'm starving," he chirped, rubbing his growling stomach. "I smell pancakes."

Bulma sighed. "Yes, I imagine Mother has been up for hours cooking. She still won't let me or Dad build her robot chefs to help her out."

"I'm sure she just likes to do things on her own," Goku shrugged. "Bunny loves cooking."

"I know, but with you guys around, especially those Saiyans, it's going to be a helluva lot of work for her."

Goku became quiet. "You know…B-chan…they said I'm like them."

Bulma blinked. "Is that bad?"

He scrambled for an answer. "It…well, I…I didn't know I was an alien."

Bulma nodded understandingly. "Well, it'd be a shocker to anyone. That's understandable."

Goku squirmed. "Yes, but…it's…nevermind."

"What's the matter? Finish what you were saying."

He shook his head. "It's nothing."

It wasn't really nothing, but he'd have to make it that way, especially since the two largest Saiyans were coming into earshot. They came lumbering down in their armor, much to Bulma's surprise, although the handsome one that turned out to be Goku's brother (Raditz?) seemed much more at ease than the one with no hair (…Nappa?).

Bunny came into the dining area, where they would sit now that there were so many guests, and started spreading plates about. They were piled high with syrup-doused pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. Goku nearly drooled at the sight of it, and the Saiyans weren't much different.

Chichi came down the stairs next, carrying Gohan, who also looked excited at the prospect of breakfast. She sat down beside her husband and smacked his hand when he reached for the food, scolding, "Goku, wait till everyone's here and all the food is laid out."

He frowned, but did as she said.

"Morning, Chi, Gohan," Bulma said, still yawning.

"Good morning, Bulma," Chichi replied.

"Hi, Bee!" Gohan said. The one-year old had already given her this nickname upon the discovery that he couldn't say her name properly.

"Hi, sweetie."

"What are we eating?" Raditz demanded suddenly, eyeing the strange food.

"Pancakes," Goku answered, his eyes wide. "Haven't you ever had pancakes before?"

Raditz raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at the plates. "No."

"Oh my God," Goku gaped. "You are uneducated in the wonders of food. I will have to teach you."

Raditz looked offended. "I'll have you know, I've had some quality food in my lifetime."

Nappa snorted. Raditz glared at him. The two looked like they were about to start bickering, but suddenly fell silent.

Goku looked up, feeling a massive power level in the doorway. The blind Prince stood with his arms folded and his eyes narrowed as though he was scrutinizing them all, his tail wrapped loosely around his waist, his pose regal.

But perhaps the thing everyone noticed first was the fact that he wore no armor, only his blue spandex suit.

Goku gritted his teeth, his brown eyes narrowed to slits. The message that Prince Vegeta had given was received and read loud and clear; they were no threat to him. He didn't _need_ protection, and while this was true for all three Saiyans, by not wearing his armor he had taken the fact and rubbed it in their faces.

Warm Ki floated over the room, then faded until there was barely a speck of watchful energy over everything. Satisfied, Vegeta walked into the room and took his place at the head of the table. Goku gaped at his arrogance, and almost spoke up to say that Dr. Briefs always sat there, but thought twice and remained silent.

Bunny put the last of the plates down, saying, "Your father had to go to work early," to Bulma, and sitting down on the other end chair beside her daughter.

"Again?" Bulma sighed. "He's going to work himself to death."

Bunny chuckled. "Well, he certainly passed on the gene."

Bulma blushed.

"Can't we eat now?" Goku begged.

"Sure, hon, go ahead," Bunny chirped.

Goku greedily reached for his food, but a low growl stopped him in his tracks. Everyone looked up; Prince Vegeta was glaring at Goku with his teeth bared and his tail bristled, his hands palm down on the table and his hackles raised.

Goku blinked.

Raditz stared at his younger brother until he caught his attention, at which he looked pointedly at Goku's outstretched hand and swiftly shook his head.

Confused, but thinking that he had possibly received the message correctly, Goku decided to test it. He reached for his plate again, and Vegeta's growl deepened. His lip curled viciously over his sharp canine, and his tail uncurled from his waist to lash furiously at his side.

Goku put his hands in his lap.

The Prince calmed immediately, returning to the previous 'you-are-_so_-not-a-threat-to-me' demeanor. Goku looked at Chichi and raised an eyebrow, and she shrugged questioningly.

Prince Vegeta pulled his plate closer and sniffed it's contents, as though checking for poison or some such nonsense, then reached for his fork and cut some of the pancake loose. He raised it to his mouth almost slowly, and appeared to be thinking as he chewed. He swallowed and quickly reached for more, upon which Raditz and Nappa began to eat.

Goku blinked and reached for his plate, and received no growl. It struck him then; the Saiyans behaved like animals as much as they did like people. He couldn't even begin to count how many animals had certain eating rituals, some of which involved the Alpha to eat first…and he was fairly certain that primates had that ritual.

He sighed. Well, Chichi had always wanted him to have some control around food, and now he'd have to learn it.

Prince Vegeta finished his meal and gave a please smile (actually, it was more like a smirk), and a rumbling sound came from his throat. Anyone who knew Goku for longer than five minutes would recognize it as a purr, which he often did after stuffing himself with food. The Prince rose from his chair and abruptly left, not bothering to say 'excuse me', pick up his mountain of plates, or push his chair in. Bulma nearly jumped up to yell at him, but Goku cried, "B-chan!"

She stopped. "What?"

"I…well, erm….I'm sure he wasn't trying to be rude…he's a Prince, you know, he's probably used to servants and all that –"

She sighed and waved him off, stopping his stuttering rant. "Yeah yeah…he could at least say "thank you for the meal" or something. Sheesh. And what was with the growling thing?"

Raditz cleared his throat and spoke up. "The Prince always eats first. He's royalty."

"You guys seriously do that Alpha wolf thing?" Bulma asked incredulously.

"I don't know what a 'wolf' is, but he's certainly Alpha. Surely humans have some type of practice like that."

"We have Kings and such, and we toast to them and all, but we all pretty much eat at the same time. They just give the go to eat, so everyone knows the meal has begun."

"Toast them?" Nappa gaped. "You kill your King before every meal?"

Bulma started to laugh. "Of course not. It's like when you raise your glass in the air and clink them together with someone else's, and you congratulate them or whatever."

"What a strange practice…" Nappa murmured curiously.

"Kakarot," Raditz broke the silly conversation, "You'd best not try to do that again. Vegeta allowed it this one time because you're new at this, but forget it again and he'll take your hand off and burn it to a crisp. No magical beans are going to fix that. You understand me?"

Goku shrank under his brother's stern gaze, suddenly missing the days when he was an only child. "…Sure."

Raditz nodded. "Good."

* * *

><p>It would take Goku nearly an entire hour to work up the nerve to knock on his brother's temporary bedroom door, and when he did, he flinched at the horridly loud sound his fist made against the wood. He'd been half hoping that Raditz wouldn't hear or wouldn't answer.<p>

That, of course, was stupid to hope, because Saiyan hearing was a bit sharper than most, and even Goku knew that. Raditz opened the door almost immediately, his dark brown eyes staring his little brother down. The tall man towered over Goku by nearly 4 inches, maybe more, and his massive stature alone made Goku feel small.

"What?" he asked.

Goku looked sheepish. "I was wondering if you'd tell me about my past…a little bit."

"Your past."

"Yes. I got here when I was three, but by then I could already walk and talk and remember things…after the accident, I mean. I want to know what happened before that."

"You mean, you want to know why Vegeta was so angry you'd forgotten him," Raditz corrected, folding his arms and pursing his lips.

"I…well, yeah." Goku paused, then stuck his hands in his pockets and added, "I didn't mean to forget you, either."

Raditz's eyebrows lifted.

"Really, I didn't. I mean, I'm not sorry I didn't purge Earth, and I love my family, but I guess I wouldn't want to forget my own brother either, if it could've been helped. Really."

Raditz sighed and looked away. "I suppose it wasn't entirely your fault."

Goku brightened a little bit.

"I'll tell you what I remember, but keep in mind that I was often out on missions as a child. You'd have more memories of the Prince than you would of me." He sounded bitter.

"That's alright," Goku scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Just tell me about when you and I were kids, then."

Raditz let out a puff of air through partially closed lips, then stepped out of his bedroom and shut the door behind him. "Let's go for a walk. This is going to take a while."

* * *

><p>"So, I look like Dad, then?"<p>

"Like a clone of him. Except he had a scar on his left cheek. And his eyes weren't always so googly."

"Googly?" Goku cried.

"Yes, googly. He was very serious."

"Googly," Goku muttered, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "I do not have googly eyes. What about Mother?"

"Mother was…Mother was a badass."

"Huh."

"I mean it. Mother made a point to kick Dad's ass periodically. I suppose if he actually tried he could've blown her to smithereens easily, but he always let her smack him around anyway."

Goku chuckled.

Raditz chuckled too, and ran his fingers through his hair. "She cut her hair when she had you, but before, she had crazy hair like mine. That's where I got it from."

"How do you fight with so much hair?" Goku asked dubiously.

"Heh…it's difficult."

"You could cut it."

"Nah."

The two were walking in the woods near Goku's house; occasionally, between questions, he would point some piece of the landscape out and tell the story behind it. Raditz wasn't sure if he found it interesting or annoying, so he just let his brother talk and then go back to questions.

"Hm. Did we have a sister?"

"No…thank God."

"Oh. Cousins?"

"Turles. He looked like you…too much so, if you ask me. You two switched places once for a whole day and nobody noticed until you told us. Well…Vegeta noticed, and I kinda thought something weird was going on, but I didn't really catch it."

Goku laughed. "How did I meet Vegeta, anyhow?"

"First of all…I'd call him Prince to his face, if I were you. Secondly, you were presented to him on his 3rd birthday."

Goku blinked, then frowned. "Presented?"

"You were going to be his body guard. It was tradition between our two families…the son that was closest to the Prince's age would become his guard. I was too old to be eligible for it by then. It's normally a younger guard, so he can learn from whichever prince he serves."

"Ah. So, I was just a bodyguard to him, then."

Raditz snorted.

Goku raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"Hell, no."

Goku sighed. "And you're not going to tell me?"

"I'd rather he tell you himself."

"Like that'll ever happen."

"I'm sure he'll come around eventually. He's stubborn, is all."

"If you say so. Say, when's my real birthday?"

"April 20th."

Goku smiled. The date seemed to fit him much better than the date he'd picked. April 20th…he rather liked the sound of it. It was a good day for a birthday. "Heh…I always thought it was May the Fourth. Or I pretended it was, anyhow."

Raditz stopped walking and looked at him strangely. "That's Vegeta's birthday."

Goku blinked. "Oh."

"You remember a few things," Raditz said, ducking a branch. "You have to."

"I remembered seeing his eyes, but that was probably from looking at that picture so many times. I didn't even know it was his birthday…I didn't think it was really mine, but if felt familiar. That's all I get."

Raditz pressed his lips together and frowned. "I could hit you again to jog your memory."

Goku laughed nervously and stepped over a tree root. "Ah…that might be a bad idea. I do like this planet, you know."

"Hmph. I was kidding."

Goku blushed, embarrassed at having missed the sarcasm. He coughed, and after a while, said, "Gohan seemed to like you."

"Yeah? I'm not normally good with kids."

"Gohan's normally real shy around strangers."

"I see."

"Do Saiyans have some sort of recognition sense? Maybe he recognized your scent or something."

"I doubt a kid could pick up on that, and as far as I know, you can only recognize the scent of people you know."

"Hm," Goku said after a minute.

"Hn," Raditz said at the same time.

They looked at each other, and Goku laughed. Raditz only smiled and shook his head.

"Dumbass little brother," he chuckled, and he smacked Goku upside the head.

"Ow! Hey!"

"I'm your elder brother, get used to it."

Goku bit the inside of his lip. He still didn't entirely trust Raditz, and while he admitted that this conversation had gone very well, he still felt awkward about calling him brother.

He supposed some things would take a little getting used to.

* * *

><p>He ran his bare fingers over the contents of the desk, his missing glove held tightly in one hand. Every so often, he'd find papers, but after examining them with his hands, he would discover soft dents in the paper, which meant it had been written on.<p>

He explored the shelves upon shelves of books that the little library contained, frustrated that he couldn't read a single one of them, but he found no paper near the books, either. Growling softly in frustration, he rummaged through the second desk on the other side of the room, and was pleased to find that there was a large box-like machine that had a large tray full of paper. He gathered a huge stack of in his arms and a few pencils hat he'd gathered up as he went, and left the library as silently as he'd come.

Of course, he hadn't really noticed the cameras in the corners of the room…or more likely, he had, but hadn't paid them any mind.

* * *

><p>Bulma, who'd been upstairs checking the cameras to see if they worked properly as she did whenever she had guest stay for more than a few hours (outside of the Z Gang, anyway) and was surprised to see the blind prince making a mess of the library. For a moment, the recording was screwed because of his Ki-wave, which she had felt earlier at the table but was too nervous to ask him about it. He gathered up a bunch of pencils and paper from <em>her <em>printer, then up and left as though he'd gotten whatever treasure he'd been looking for. Curious, she clicked the screen over to the camera of his room and prayed he wasn't dressing, and gaped at what she saw.

He couldn't be blind. It was impossible. No blind man could draw like that.

And yet, a face continued to be inked on the paper, similar to the prince's, but older and wiser. The Saiyan's tail flicked contentedly by his side, thumping against the bed as he sat on it cross-legged and drew, and even though his hands flew across the paper, his head ever moved, and he never blinked.

He really was blind.

Stunned, Bulma watched him complete the drawings, four others, and begin a fifth one, all of people with sharp features and crazy hair. After a while, Bulma forgot she was supposed to be checking the cameras. She watched him for a straight two hours.

When she realized what she was doing, and how badly she wanted to watch him draw again, she swore three things to herself:

1. She'd make sure her printer was regularly stocked.

2. She'd buy some good, quality art pencils and "accidently" leave them out on her desk.

3. She'd never, never, _ever_ tell him there was a camera in his room.

She put her chin in her hand and braced her elbows on the desktop and watch him draw like it was a movie, remembering that once, as a child, Goku had told her how there was a twinge of hardly detectable Ki in the pencil lead on the old drawing he had. What an interesting way of drawing something.

She pouted when he finally put his pencil's away after creating seven simple masterpieces, all headshots, though some of them had more than one face on them. One of them was his companion's; a face-one shot of Nappa and a side view of Raditz and his crazy hair, two separate pieces with two men who looked like Goku but not quite, a man that looked like himself but with a beard, a woman with wild hair that cascaded down her back and another woman with stylish short hair, both of them donning almost sinister smirks. The last picture though, was what truly convinced her that the old drawing Goku held on to for years belonged to this surly prince.

It was a big picture, given its content, and took up almost the entire page. It was a single pair of faintly slanted eyes, smudged slightly so that the irises looked clouded and hazed.

* * *

><p><strong>Mkay, I don't really truly love this chapter…kind of awkward to write. It'll be better once everybody settles in. At least we got a little big-bro-little-bro moment with Goku and Raditz-chan :3 I love that big lug so much.<strong>

**B-chan, you're such a stalker! Heh, but it's cute, no? I was about to die from not writing at least a little something for her. Geez…sometimes it's hard to remember that this is a Goku and Vegeta centered story. Sigh. **

**Anyhow, yous all knows the drill.**

**REVIEW!**

**~KimiruMai**


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